Hetalia Units, huh? What Could Possibly Go Wrong?
by Linkforever125
Summary: When I found out about Hetalia Units, I was hesitant to get them. But the thought of having a chibi or life sized version of my favorite anime characters? Now I HAD to get them. But I never knew how much of a hassle they could be until I got my first Unit- Chibi Canada. Now, instead of dying of cuteness, I'm dying of insanity. Based on 0ptimuspenguin's manual fics.
1. Chapter 1: He Only Speaks What?

**AN: Just fixing all of the mistakes, so don't mind me...**

**Manuals belong to 0ptimuspenguin, which is formerly est. 1995, which is formerly Lollidictator. **

* * *

It was just another beautiful day at home. The sun was shining brightly, the air was crisp and fresh, and the temperature was just right; not too cold, not too hot. It was the perfect day and anyone who's anybody would be scrambling to get outside. Well, except for me.

I was currently on the computer, furiously typing away on a Microsoft Word document in my hot and stuffy office in my attic. It was Friday afternoon, and I was supposed to be hanging out with my friends on campus, but because I just _had _to take an AP Biology course, I was stuck inside hurriedly finishing my report that was due the next day. I'll be honest; I thought the class was going to be fun, but my professor turned out to be a real jerk. Not only did he hate his job, to which I wonder why he's teaching the class in the first place, but he also hates all of his students, and I'm no exception. So, because he was a bitter old man and only wanted to make things harder for us and himself, he made us type up a minimum ten page report on what we learned so far this year, which was a lot. So far I was already on page twelve and wasn't even halfway through with the material we've been taught. I sighed and looked at the blinking line on the document. My guess was that I'd be here for the rest of the night.

I eventually became too bored to continue and saved my progress before opening Internet Explorer and browsing some fanfiction. Yes, I read fanfiction, but only in my spare time. Technically, I should be working on my report right now, but I had been working on it all day and desperately needed a break. I don't write fanfiction though, because I never have time to and plus, I just don't feel like it. I'm too lazy to actually write it. So, anyway, as I was looking through fanfiction, an ad suddenly popped up.

"_LOOKING FOR VOLUNTEERS TO TRY OUT OUR NEW HETALIA UNITS. FIRST TWO UNITS ARE FREE! GET YOUR HETALIA UNIT TODAY!"_

"Unit, what the heck is that?" I mumbled to myself. I knew what Hetalia was, after all, it was probably my favorite anime of all time, but I had no idea what a "Unit" was. Sounded like some robot. I hesitated and slowly moved my mouse to the close button. A Unit sounded cool, but I still had no idea what it was. Was it some kind of butler robot thing? Or did it just keep you company? Hm, if it was some kind of companion, then I could use one. I lived alone ever since my parents retired and moved to their dream house in Arizona. They let me keep the house because it was close to where I was going to college, so I paid the bills, kept it clean, all that stuff. It was fairly small, but I was still lonely either way, so a bit of company would be good.

I moved the mouse over the ad, which had a picture of Flying Mint Bunny, and clicked on it. Immediately, a box of text appeared. It read:

"_Thank you for volunteering for Flying Mint Bunny Inc.'s free Hetalia Unit trial! We guarantee 100% satisfaction with our products and hope you will continue to buy Units once your trial has ended. Please fill out your information below:"_

The text box disappeared and a bunch of places to enter my information about where I lived and such and such came up. I filled out all of my info and clicked the "SEND" button. Another window appeared, this one with a question and two choices.

_What would you like your first free Unit to be?_

_Full sized_

_Chibi_

"Oh, I didn't know I had a choice," I muttered. I clicked on "chibi"; maybe I would get Chibitalia or Chibi Romano or something cool like that. I clicked send and an animation of Flying Mint Bunny sparkling and flying away played. A catchy jingle sounded and one last box came up.

"_Thank you for your order! Your first Unit will arrive in two to three business days. We hope you enjoy your Unit and continue to purchase more once your trial has ended. Thank you for choosing Flying Mint Bunny Inc. for your Unit provider!"_

The window closed and the ad disappeared from the page, being replaced with something else. I shrugged and turned back to the fanfiction I was reading, not really thinking about what I just did. I read for a few minutes before realizing that I was wasting time, so I closed the window and brought my essay back up. Sighing, I continued to type, and in the back of my mind, I somewhat dreaded what would happen when my Unit showed up. I had never even heard of a "Unit" until today so I had no idea what to expect. I was even stupid enough to order one out of the blue! But then again, they were free, so did it really matter? I shook the thought away and turned my attention back to my report. I needed to get this done, so throwing all of my energy into it, I stayed at the computer and typed away into the wee hours of the next morning.

* * *

It was now Monday evening. I had ordered my "Unit" on Friday and it still hadn't arrived. Since Friday it had been three days, the maximum amount of time Flying Mint Bunny Inc. said it would take to ship my Unit. I shrugged and changed the channel on the TV. Classes were done for the day, so I was just chilling at home until my Unit arrived. I was excited to see which one I got since I had ordered a chibi. It never gave me an option as to which particular character I wanted, but I figured getting a chibi would be a safer bet because then they wouldn't be that much work. Of course, I never had any experience with Units before so I honestly had no idea what I was getting myself into, but nevertheless, I hoped for the best.

As I was about to get up to get a snack from the kitchen, the doorbell rang and startled me. I let out a yelp and fell back on the couch, but immediately leaped back up. Was this my Unit? Was it really finally here? A squeal of joy escaped my lips and I bounded up to the front door, wrenching it open. A man just a little taller than me with glasses resting on his nose and brown hair sticking out from underneath a green cap stood with a life sized box on a roller next to him. He had a bright smile on his face and he looked at me through shining brown eyes.

"G'day mate!" he said. I blinked and reeled back a bit. I didn't even know there were an Australians in my town.

"Uh, hello." I said. The man wheeled the box in and set it down next to me, handing me a clipboard where I signed my name on the line. "Um, I ordered a chibi, not full sized." I pointed out.

The man smiled. "I know, but every Unit comes in this kind of box." He handed me a rather thick manual after I gave the clipboard back to him. "Here, I took the liberty of getting you a manual in English because I doubt you speak French."

What? I took the manual and opened it and sure enough, it was in English. Why would they give me a manual in French? Oh God, they didn't give me a France Unit, did they? I turned to the man and raised an eyebrow. What did he know about me anyway? We just met. "Um, thank you? I don't speak French at all, so uh, why would they send me a French manual?"

"It's just a random choice, sorry 'bout that. If you start to have any language problems, give us a call," he handed me a business card with Flying Mint Bunny on it, "Although, I'd do it soon before you get too attached."

"Huh? Language problems? What are you-" Before I could ask any more questions, the man tipped his hat in departure and left the house, heading back to his green delivery truck parked in my driveway that also had a picture of Flying Mint Bunny on it. He backed out of the driveway and waved, then sped down the street and was gone.

I closed the door and shrugged. Who cared about the guy anyway; I'd probably never even see him again. Although, in my opinion, he was pretty cute… Whoa, get that thought out of your head, Lily! You have a boyfriend for God's sake! It was probably just the accent. Yeah, just blame the accent. That always works, right?

Anyway, getting off track here; I turned to the box and eyed it suspiciously. If I got a France Unit I swear I'm sending it back right away. I don't want some mini-rapist running around my house! Turning back to the manual, I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw the name on the cover that I hadn't seen before.

_**MATTHEW WILLIAMS: User Guide and Manual**_

"Aw, I got Canada!" I squealed. I hurried through the manual until I got to the section telling me how to "wake up" my Unit.

_**Removal of your MATTHEW WILLIAMS from Packaging:**_

_MATTHEW WILLIAMS is one of our kindest, most stable units, but anyone can have a bad morning! We urge you to take extreme caution when trying to reprogram or unpack him; to avoid any unfortunate injuries, we have compiled a list of ways to wake your unit up._

_1. Play the Canadian anthem, or speak any dialect of French loudly by the box. He will wake happily, and after you insist that you can see him, he will be so ecstatic that you can reprogram him directly._

_2. Cook French or Canadian food (poutine is a suggestion). While he eats, you can reprogram him._

_3. For more modern musics. If you blare American pop music, MATTHEW WILLIAMS will shout for ALFRED F. JONES to turn down that horrible screeching (especially if the singer in question is Miley Cyrus), and he will be a bit grumpy when he gets up; you can also play Justin Bieber, to which MATTHEW WILLIAMS will apologize profusely as you reprogram him; a third pop option is to play Lady Gaga, to which MATTHEW WILLIAMS will insist that they are not dating._

_4. Turn on an ice hockey game and put the volume loud enough for you to hear it down the street - which is where MATTHEW WILLIAMS' box should preferably be, to avoid any injuries caused by the box breaking open as MATTHEW WILLIAMS dashes to watch the game._

_5. Start your KUMAJIROU unit up. MATTHEW WILLIAMS will get up immediately._

The third suggestion made me laugh. After wiping the tears from my eyes, I finally decided to go with the first one. Since I didn't know any French whatsoever, I would just blast his national anthem. I took out my iPod and went to the YouTube app, then searched for O Canada and turned my volume up all the way. As soon as it started playing, the box shifted and a small, high pitched voice came from within it. It sounded like humming, but I didn't really know. As the song still played and the humming continued, I cautiously reached out to the lid of the box. I undid a few latches and lifted the top off, peering inside.

Inside, sitting at the bottom of the box and humming softly to himself, was a boy that looked like a chibi straight from an anime in a winter coat that was at least twenty sizes too big. Beside him was a white ball of fur that suddenly moved and nudged the boy's hand. The boy stopped singing and smiled, then petted the ball of fur and when he realized the top of the box was off, he looked up at me with almost violet eyes behind wire rimmed glasses.

I almost died from cuteness overload.

Squealing and smiling so wide it didn't look natural, I reached into the box and carefully pulled out Canada and the ball of fur. The ball of fur turned out to be the cub form of Kumajirou and he sniffed my hand curiously. I tried to contain my squeals because of the cuteness, but a few escaped my throat anyway. I walked into the living room and put Kumajirou down on the couch and sat down next to him with Canada in my lap. He looked at me with wide eyes as I proceeded to probe him and squeeze his cheeks and arms. This was amazing! He felt like a real human being, not some robot with fake skin. Wow, it was crazy what scientists could do to robots these days.

A growl like noise came from below me and I looked to Kumajirou, but he was already fast asleep and curled up by a pillow. I checked my stomach; was that me? Nah, I didn't feel any rumbling. I looked to Chibi Canada and raised my eyebrows. "Was that you?" I asked. He looked away shyly.

"_J'ai faim." _he mumbled. I blinked and looked at him like he had three heads.

"What?"

"_J'ai faim!" _he repeated a little louder. I scratched my head and reached for the manual he came with. I flipped open to the troubleshooting section and my eyes widened at the first thing that was there.

_**Troubleshooting**_

_Problem__: You opened your box and found, instead of a regular MATTHEW WILLIAMS unit, a tiny little thing who speaks only in French. The KUMAJIROU unit is also cub-sized._

_Solution__: Whoopsie! We've done gone and sent you a MATHIEU BONNEFOIS unit - basically the younger version of MATTHEW WILLIAMS, when he still lived with FRANCIS BONNEFOIS. If you don't want this smaller version, just ship him right back and we'll send you a MATTHEW WILLIAMS instead._

I face palmed.

He only speaks French? How am I supposed to understand anything he's saying? I didn't know anything about the language! Well, except for "Bonjour" and "Au revoir", but everybody knows that, right? Wait, is that why that delivery guy said he got me a manual in English, why he mentioned language problems? Good God, what am I supposed to do? How am I going to-

Chibi Canada brought me out of my lapse of internal agony by tugging at my arm. I looked down and he had a pained expression on his face.

"_J'ai faim!" _he yelled softly (Wow, oxymoron much?) and he pointed and rubbed his stomach for emphasis.

"Oh, you're hungry? Sorry, little dude, but I don't speak French. Uh, what do you want?"

"_J'ai faim!"_

"I know that, but you need to tell me what you want." I pointed to my stomach and shrugged my shoulders, trying to tell him that I wanted to know what he wanted to eat. He seemed to understand, because he pointed into the kitchen and jumped off of my lap and onto the floor.

"_Crêpes! Je veux les crêpes!" _he shrieked. He ran into the kitchen and pointed to the cupboard that I kept pancake flour in. I walked over and took it out, eyeing him suspiciously as I set the box down on the counter. He jumped up and down, trying to reach the box but failing miserably considering he was barely tall enough to reach the middle of the cupboard door down near the floor. I picked him up with ease and set him on the counter next to the box. He hugged it tightly and looked up at me with a smile on his face.

"You want pancakes?" I asked. "And how did you know I had pancake flour in that specific cupboard anyway?" Chibi Canada shrugged and handed me the box of flour. I sighed and took it from him and got out everything I needed to make some pancakes. I made the pancakes quickly and kind of sloppily because Chibi Canada's stomach kept growling and he looked on the verge of tears. As soon as the first batch was finished, I put them on a plate and put them in front of Canada who was still sitting on the counter. His face lit up when he saw them, but then he shoved the plate away. "What? What's wrong?" I asked, bewildered. How could he not want pancakes? And I just busted my butt to make them for him!

"_Avec le sirop d'érable, bien sûr!__" _

I blinked. "What?"

"_Le sirop d'érable." _he said slowly. _"Je le veux sur mes crêpes." _

"Listen, I'm sorry little dude, but I don't understand a word of what you're saying. Don't you know English?" Who am I kidding? If the manual said he would only speak French, then there was no way he would know English. Seriously, I must be really stupid today.

"_Le sirop d'érable!" _Chibi Canada cried. He jumped down from the kitchen counter and opened my fridge, appearing a few moments later with a bottle of maple syrup in his hands. He lifted his arms up to me and after I finished gaping at how cute he looked I picked him up and set him back down on the counter. Canada pointed to the maple syrup. _"Le sirop d'érable." _he said as he poured it on his pancakes.

"Oh, maple syrup. Okay. I got it." I made a mental note to write all of this stuff down later, but right now I was too busy watching Chibi Canada eat his pancakes that were twice the size of his head. It was so cute I could've cried, but luckily I wasn't that dramatic, so I just watched as he shoved the pancakes down his throat while smiling widely and making "Mmm" noises. It was so cute, I swear I could've died. Why did he have to be so adorable? Curse Flying Mint Bunny Inc. for making something so ridiculously amazing. Actually, I shouldn't say that! If they never existed then I never would've been able to get this-as Prussia would say- awesome Unit thing that just so happened to look and feel exactly like a human. I mean seriously, how did the company do that? Not only did Canada look exactly like he did from the anime, but he looked, felt, and acted like a human. That was so cool! Where could Flying Mint Bunny Inc. have possibly gotten the technology to do that? I know I've never heard of any "Units" before, maybe it was a new technology that they were testing out? That would explain why my first two Hetalia Units are free. Hm, I wonder which one I might get next! I think for my second Unit I'll get one that's life sized. Just to experience what it's like, that's all. Although, there's also the possibility that I could-

"_Je suis fatigué!"_

I was snapped out of my rambling immediately. I looked over to Chibi Canada who was yawning and rubbing at his eyes. He looked at me tiredly and yawned again, reaching for my hand. He tugged it weakly and his head drooped, his glasses sliding off of his nose and clattering on the granite countertop. I looked over to the clock on the wall and my eyes widened. It was already eleven o'clock; no wonder the poor boy was tired! I didn't even know it was that late, it never registered to me at all. Fighting off a yawn myself, I put Canada's glasses back on his nose and picked him up. I pulled of his ridiculous coat and threw it on the couch and before I forgot, I picked up Kumajirou (who was still asleep, by the way) and headed up the stairs. Now that I could actually feel Chibi Canada's arms, I noticed they were as soft as a baby's skin, maybe even more so. His hair was silky too. Everything about him was just so cute…

As I opened the door to my decently sized room, Chibi Canada wiggled around in my arms. I put down Kumajirou who woke up then and walked around sniffing my bed and brought Canada up to my face. "Hey little dude, are you ready to go to bed?" I asked quietly.

"…_bain," _he muttered.

I sighed. "Once again, little dude, I don't understand French."

"_Je veux prendre un bain."_ He pointed to the bathroom. _"Maintenant."_

"What's that? You need to go to the bathroom? Well, I was going to take a bath before I went to bed, so you can use a different bathroom while I'm washing up." Either I would have to learn French or Chibi Canada would have to learn English. What was happening right now could not happen for however long I had my Unit. We needed to get over this language barrier. NOW.

Chibi Canada was awake when he heard the word bath. He jumped from my arms and took off for the bathroom across the hall from my room. I ran after him, yelling (even though I knew he couldn't understand it), and walked in on him undressing while the tub filled up with hot water. I immediately covered my eyes but when Chibi Canada motioned for me to join him in the tub, I hesitantly uncovered them.

"_Entrez!" _he said shyly, his cheeks turning slightly pink. _"L'eau est chaude."_

"Little dude, there's no way I'm getting in the tub with you." I took out my manual that for some reason I was still holding. I don't even remember picking it up after looking at the troubleshooting; apparently I'm just really forgetful of things. I looked down at the manual and cracked it open. I flipped to the care section and looked under cleaning, a little reluctant to enter the tub after reading what was there.

_**Cleaning**_

_Your MATTHEW WILLIAMS can clean himself perfectly fine, and doesn't mind if you bathe with him._

"Seriously?" I mumbled to myself. I looked back over to Canada in the tub, only to see it overflowing with bubbles. Canada's head popped out of the mass and he had a huge smile on his face, one so big that I couldn't refuse. "Oh, fine. But turn around! You shouldn't be seeing any of this." I closed the door and locked it firmly, then began to undress. This felt so awkward for me, but then again, Chibi Canada was just a robot, right? Even though he looked like a human, he wasn't an _actual _human, so I had nothing to worry about. Besides, he's got the appearance of a toddler, and what parent doesn't bathe with their kid at least once? Wait…who said I was a parent? Flying Mint Bunny Inc. didn't expect me to raise him, did they?

"_Venez-vous?" _Chibi Canada asked. I turned around, my breasts covered, and smiled awkwardly as I stepped into the tub. Thank God he put bubbles in there. As soon as I sat down, he jumped onto my chest. I yelped and tried backing away, but I was already as far back in the tub as I could go. I guess I should have expected this, I mean, he _did _grow up with France, and it even said in the manual that this was when he was still living with him. Living with that pervert must've left some kind of mark on him.

I hurriedly washed myself and rinsed off and got dressed. Canada insisted on staying in the tub, so I figured I might as well wash him while I waited for my hair to dry. I scrubbed him well and shampooed his hair, then drained the tub and rinsed him with the shower head, avoiding looking between his legs the whole time. I lifted him out of the tub quickly and wrapped a towel around him, then began to blow dry my hair. Once mine was at least half dry, I blow dried Canada's short hair and dressed him in one of the oversized sweatshirts with a maple leaf on it that came with him. When we were all dried and Canada was half asleep in my arms, I shut off the light and headed back to my bedroom.

I laid Chibi Canada down on the bed and got under my covers, pulling him under them as soon as I was in a comfy position. He snuggled up close into my side and immediately fell asleep. I smiled and shut off the light and closed my eyes, letting my mind wander off. Today was a hectic day, that's for sure. Somehow Chibi Canada and I would have to overcome this language barrier and get to know each other better. I had yet to check my email to order my second free Unit, but that could wait until tomorrow after school. Oh crap, that's right! I had school tomorrow! What was I supposed to do with Canada? I couldn't just leave him at home, he was a toddler!

I sighed and put an arm around Chibi Canada. I could think about that stuff tomorrow. What's done is done and now all I can do is hope for the best. I closed my eyes and exhaled, willing my problems to go with it. In a few minutes, my consciousness was slipping and I was asleep.

"_Bonne nuit," _Chibi Canada's voice just barely made it to my ears. Maybe because he was whispering or because I was practically asleep, but then again, Canada whispered all the time. I smiled and hugged him tighter to me.

I didn't know what he said, but I think it was something along the lines of "Good night."

* * *

**AN: So yeah. I hope I fixed everything. If not...oh well. I really don't feel like going through it again.**

**Mei-Ling out. Peace! :3**


	2. Chapter 2: Enter America, Teen Edition

**AN: Another revised chapter. Meh.**

* * *

The next day was horrible.

Okay, what's the deal? Flying Mint Bunny Inc. said that it took two to three business days to ship out my new Unit, not less than one! I already have a little chibi who doesn't know a word of English, and now I have a bratty teenager who yells at me for everything I say, claiming I boss him around and always tell him what to do. But hey, at least my next three Units are free! If I even want to get any more after this…

Oh, sorry. I jumped ahead for a second there. My bad. I guess I should start from the beginning, huh? Well, alright then.

It was Tuesday morning. I had woken up relatively early at around 6:30 with Kumajirou on my face, effectively freaking me out. I yelled and sat up, snapping Chibi Canada out of his peaceful slumber beside me. Kumajirou growled and jumped off me, Canada started crying because he was still tired, and I was too busy trying not to have a heart attack once I realized I had to go to school and leave Canada by himself. Rubbing my eyes with one hand, I reached over to Canada with the other and snuggled him against my chest. I rocked back and forth, trying to calm the wailing Unit while coming up with a plan for the day, but it didn't seem to work. Canada proceeded to scream bloody murder which got Kumajirou wailing, and it started giving me a headache. I sighed and got up, heading toward my drawers. What a way to start the day.

As I picked out my clothes, I racked my brain to try and figure out what to do with Chibi Canada while I was gone all day. I couldn't just bring him with me to my classes, they were around three and a half hours each of nothing but lectures. I only had two classes, Chemistry and Physics, but I didn't want the poor kid to sit through them. No doubt he would get bored and start fidgeting or, God forbid, crying. Besides, people would think he was my son or something, and I did _not _sleep around. Rumors would start flying and word would probably somehow get back to my parents all the way on the other side of the country and I would be in huge trouble. My only other option was to call a baby sitter, but I didn't think I had the time. Classes started at eight, but I needed to leave the house by 7:30, so that left me a little less than an hour to find somebody in the area willing to watch my "Unit". Ugh, who could I call? I didn't know anybody who could do this for me.

I was putting my shirt on over my bra when it suddenly hit me. My boyfriend didn't have classes today; maybe he could watch Canada for me. Of course, he would probably get all mad and demand an answer for why I had a random toddler in my house, but I could always lie and say he was my cousin's kid or something like that. Yeah, that could work! Hurriedly putting on my socks, I ran down stairs and into the kitchen, then picked up the phone and dialed my boyfriend's number. I waited impatiently as the phone rang on the other line. Oh God, I hope he didn't have plans today!

"_Hello?" _I sighed in relief at my boyfriend's familiar voice.

"Hey, Anthony, do you think you could do me a _huge _favor today?" I crossed my fingers and jumped up and down lightly. He better say yes, otherwise I'll kill him.

"_Uh, depends. What kind of favor did you have in mind? I was going to study with Dex today; I might not be able to do it."_

Ah, that's what I was afraid of. I should've known he would make plans with Dex. Those two were practically inseparable; no wonder they would study together. After all, they did share an apartment, so they would never leave each other's sides. I sighed and looked at the clock. 7:15. I'd have to leave soon. "Look, I really need this favor. I need you to come to my house and watch someone for me while I'm having classes. I can't leave him by himself."

"_Well, who is it?"_

"Uh, my cousin's son. I totally forgot I had classes while he was visiting, so I have no one to watch him while I'm gone. Please, can you do this for me? I promise I'll make it up to you somehow."

Anthony sighed and I could just picture him rubbing the back of his neck. _"I guess. Can Dex come with me then? We were gonna study together so-"_

"I don't care. I just need someone to watch him so he doesn't get into trouble, that's all. One thing though; he only speaks French…"

"_Wait, what? How am I supposed to take care of him if I can't understand anything he's saying?"_

I laughed nervously and scratched my head. "Yeah, you'll have to deal with that by yourself. I really have to go now. I can't be late for class. Thank you so much for doing this. Love you!"

"_Yeah, love you too."_

I smiled and hung up the phone, sighing in relief as I did so. Now that I had someone to watch Chibi Canada, I could be content knowing that he was in good hands. I turned around to head upstairs, only to see Chibi Canada rubbing his eyes with one hand and holding Kumajirou in the other in the middle of the hallway. He looked at me tiredly and I noticed he didn't have his glasses on. Didn't he fall asleep with them?

"_Qu'est-ce que vous faites?" _he asked. I smiled and knelt down beside him to ruffle his hair.

"Morning little dude. I found someone to watch you while I'm gone."

"_Quoi? O__ù__ allez-vous?" _

I sighed. "Still don't understand you. I have to go to school. I have classes. My boyfriend is coming over now so he can watch you while I'm gone. Think you're going to be okay?" Chibi Canada still looked confused, so I gave him a reassuring smile, picked him up, and set him down on the couch. I gave him an awkward hug and went to go put on my shoes. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Anthony's car pull down the driveway. Huh, he got here fast. But I really shouldn't be surprised because he lives just a few streets away from me. I pulled on my coat and gave Canada one last smile before I grabbed my keys from a hook on the wall and headed for the garage. Canada jumped off the couch and ran over to me, burying his face in my pants.

"_Non! Ne laissez pas!" _he cried. Just then, the front door opened and my boyfriend appeared, his best friend in tow behind him. He looked at me and gave me an awkward smile, then looked down to the chibi with a death grip on my leg. I waved and pried Chibi Canada off of me, handing him kicking and screaming to Anthony as he visibly cringed at the task at hand. I pecked him on the cheek, whispered a quick "Thank you," in his ear, then left the house through the garage where I got in my car, backed out into my driveway, and took off speeding down the road.

* * *

When I got to school, I hurried through the halls of the main building and made it to my first class just in time for the lecture to begin. Luckily, my best friend Lexi saved a seat for me next to her, so I didn't have to be embarrassed as I walked around looking for a place to sit. As soon as I sat down, Lexi leaned over to me and whispered in my ear frantically.

"Oh my God Lily, you will _not _believe this!" she said. I rolled my eyes and took out my notebook. She was always the dramatic type.

"Yes?"

"Tristan totally asked me out yesterday!" She squealed and did a little dance in her seat, causing a few students to glance and send glares our way. I turned back to the board and wrote some notes down, worried that I'd get in trouble.

"That's nice, Lexi. I'm happy for you! Now, take notes or we'll get in trouble."

"Geez, man, you're always so worried about getting caught. We never do! Why don't you just let loose and break the rules for once?"

I turned to her sharply and glared. "I don't wanna risk it. I'm stressed enough as it is." I said in a hushed tone. Lexi rolled her eyes and turned back to the white board, glancing over at my notes every now and then to copy the ones she didn't take. She mumbled a few expletives under her breath just loud enough so I could hear it and I had to resist the urge to elbow her in the side. Honestly, she could be such a pain sometimes; I don't know why I hang out with her. But nevertheless I do, and somehow we always get into less than desirable situations.

About halfway through the lecture my fingers began to cramp from taking so many notes. I bent down underneath my desk and pulled my laptop out of my book bag. I turned it on and thanked the heavens that I remembered to put it on mute so it wouldn't make any sound while starting up. Lexi looked over to me and thought using a laptop would be easier, so she reached for hers and turned it on too. When mine finally finished booting up, I logged into my account and immediately opened up Microsoft Word. I began to type down notes as they were spoken, but after a few minutes of this, a sudden thought came to my head.

I pulled up Internet Explorer and went to my email. In my inbox, just as I had suspected, was an email from Flying Mint Bunny Inc. I looked around for a minute to see if people were watching me, but it didn't even matter because I was sitting in the very last row and nobody could look over my shoulder. Glancing around one last time, I hesitantly opened the email.

"_NEW AMERICA UNIT AVAILABLE! GET THIS NEW UNIT FOR FREE! NOT ONLY WILL IT BE FREE, BUT THE SECOND ORDER FROM YOUR FREE TRIAL WILL STILL BE FREE __**AND **__YOU'LL GET __**TWO MORE **__FREE UNITS!"_

Huh, looked like a deal. I still had the option to just get my second free Unit, but why would I do that when I know I'm getting America _and _I get two more Units free? So I get three free Units plus a free America Unit. Sounds pretty awesome to me. I clicked the first option and like before, filled out my information. A new box came up and read:

"_Thank you for your order! If you ever start to have problems with your Unit, just send them back! We don't mind returns. Subscribe to to get even better deals!"_

I shrugged. What did I really have to lose? I clicked the subscribe button and quickly logged out of my email. I brought Microsoft Word back up and continued taking notes, glancing over to Lexi's laptop to catch the ones I missed. Now that that was over, I could focus on my school work. As the professor droned on and on and on about elements and whatnot, I thought back to my order. An America Unit would be pretty cool. He would get along with Chibi Canada, even if he couldn't understand him, and would be a good companion to have. I hope.

I shook the thoughts of my pending Unit away and turned back to the lesson. There would be plenty of time to think about it later. For now, I focused on the lesson and took down notes, silently wondering how long it would take for America to get here.

* * *

When I got home, I knew the answer.

The first thing I saw as I pulled into my driveway was Flying Mint Bunny Inc.'s green delivery truck. The back door was open and the man, the one with the cute Australian accent, was wheeling a giant box down the ramp. He spotted me and smiled and waved, then headed for the front door. I parked my car in the garage and hurried inside, bypassing my boyfriend and Dex playing with Chibi Canada and completely ignoring said Unit as he squealed and tackled my leg. I wrenched the door open and came face to face with the delivery guy whose name I had yet to discover.

"What is this?" I cried, effectively catching the attention of Anthony and Dex. "I only ordered it today! I ordered it like, three hours ago!"

The man smiled. "Sorry, we ship them as soon as we get them. We just got a new shipment this morning so…yeah. Um, sign here please." He gave me the clipboard and I signed it with a huff. Anthony came up behind me then and wrapped his hands around my waist.

"Hey, what's wrong?" he asked, his breath tickling my ear. I blushed and tried to push him away, but his grip tightened. "What's with the box?" He eyed the box with some amusement and glared at the delivery guy.

"Nothing," I lied. I couldn't let him know that I was ordering hot anime Units for myself. He'd probably break up with me on the spot! "My mom told me she was sending me a package. Thanks for today, by the way. It really means a lot. Uh, you can go home now; I can take it from here."

"He's a cute kid," he said and kissed my cheek lightly, causing my face to turn a bright shade of red. "I'll see you in class on Friday, okay?"

"Y-Yeah, bye." He chuckled and went to gather his books with Dex trailing behind him. He walked past the delivery guy (but not before glaring at him again) and headed down to his car. Dex walked backwards as they walked away to face me.

"See ya later, Lily! Cute kid!"

I nodded and watched them leave, sighing when I couldn't see them anymore. The delivery guy turned back to me and smiled, taking the clipboard from my hands and handing me America's manual at the same time.

"Why'd you lie?" he asked. I paled. I was hoping he wouldn't bring that up.

"He's my boyfriend. If he knew I was ordering these things he'd kill me!"

"Doesn't sound like a very good boyfriend to me."

I chuckled. "He's kind of protective, it's true. But at least I know that he cares about me."

The man smiled. "Of course," He turned back to the box and wheeled it in. "Okay, I honestly don't know why you'd want this Unit. He's gonna cause you nothing but trouble. But hey, not my decision."

I furrowed my eyebrows. Why wouldn't I want an America Unit? Not only was he the personification of my country, but he was pretty cute… "What's wrong with America?" I asked. "Why would he cause so much trouble? I mean yeah, he probably will, but is he really that bad?"

The man leaned forward, a deadly serious expression on his face. Frankly, it scared me. This Unit must be really bad if he was so serious like this. "Listen, this isn't a normal America Unit,"

"What? It's not?" Chibi Canada, who still had a death grip on my leg, looked up at the delivery guy, his eyes wide and sparkling with curiosity.

"Yeah. That's why we're trying to get rid of them. I advise you to take _extreme caution _when activating him. Whatever you do, _don't use a British accent. _He _will _try to kill you."

Well, that was reassuring. I guess I wouldn't wake him up that way. The delivery man nodded his head and backed out of the door, heading towards his truck. I glanced down at Chibi Canada who was looking at the box with fear, then turned back to the man. He was backing out of the driveway now, so I guess this was my only chance.

"Wait!" I yelled as I ran outside and down the front steps. "I never got your name!"

He smiled and titled his cap. "Brent," he replied. I nodded and he drove down the road, disappearing from my sight.

I turned back to the box. Was there any way I could wake him up without getting fatally injured? I looked down at his manual and opened it, hoping it would give me some much needed answers.

_**Removal of your ALFRED F. JONES from Packaging:**_

_Your ALFRED F. JONES unit is a happy, energetic unit - for the most part - and there are rarely any problems with waking him up. It is impossible to accidentally knock him into a dangerous mode when removing him from his package; the most you need to worry about is him being __too__ happy and energetic. In order to avoid that, we have provided you with a few ways that you can wake him carefully and get right to work on any reprogramming you might want to do!_

_1. Play the American national anthem, or any patriotic American song. Loudly. Your unit will respond immediately, singing horribly out-of-tune until the song is over; you can reprogram him during this time, and the faster you do this the faster he'll stop singing._

_2. Put on a kid's superhero show or movie (preferably Superman or Batman) loud enough to be heard down the street. Your unit will whine for you to let him out of the box, and will run to the television as soon as you do. While he watches, you can reprogram him; however, be warned that if your chosen superhero is prone to striking heroic poses, your unit might jump up and do them as well._

_3. Speak with a British accent or in Russian. ALFRED F. JONES will reply positively to the first one, and a little coldly to the second, but he will get up anyway._

_4. Turn on his Tony unit. He'll insult you, ALFRED F. JONES will wake up shaking with laughter, and you'll be able to reprogram him then._

"But it says he'll reply positively to a British accent. Maybe Brent got the orders mixed up?" I mumbled. I looked down at Chibi Canada. "What do you think, Canada?" Canada blinked and ran to the box, peering up at it nervously. He started to shake and he hid behind my leg, holding it tightly.

"_N-Ne l'ouvrez pas," _he said. I sighed. Doesn't he realize that I don't understand French?

I shook my head and turned back to the manual. Number one and two were out of the question, that's for sure. Number four required me to open the box and get Tony out and I had no intentions of doing that, so it looked like I'd just have to go with number three. If Brent said not to do a British accent, then I'd just have to go with a Russian one. Taking a deep breath and clearing my throat, I did the best Russian accent I could manage.

"Privet, America. You will become one with Mother Russia, da?"

There was no answer.

I cleared my throat again and tried a little louder.

"You will become one with Mother Russia, da?"

Not a sound came from the box.

I sighed and tried my only other option. Besides, how bad could it possibly be?

"Bloody git! You get out of that box this instant!"

What happened next almost got me killed.

The box burst open, sending splinters of wood flying in all directions. A few hit my arms and my face, cutting the skin deep enough to draw blood. A pair of seemingly glowing blue eyes with a glare icy enough to freeze over Hell shone through the darkness of the box and a figure stepped out from it. The figure turned out to be a teenager who looked about sixteen when he stepped in the light and he wore a blue Revolutionary War uniform. He held a musket in his hand with a bayonet blade that was just inches from my face. I gulped and could feel the sweat trickling down my neck.

America's eyes widened when he realized I wasn't England, but then hardened again in suspicion. Out of the corner of my eye I saw his finger pull back lightly on the trigger. My heart pounded in my ears and I said a quick prayer and grasped Chibi Canada's hand. Was he going to kill me?

"Where's Britain?" America growled. "Tell me where he is so I can blow his damn head off!"

Now I was truly terrified. There were bullets in that gun? Well, I was dead. "I d-don't know what you're t-talking about…" I said weakly. _Please don't kill me, please don't kill me, please don't kill me, please don't kill me!_

America's eyes narrowed and he looked down at my feet. Chibi Canada was trembling with fear and he pointed the gun at him instead, causing him to scream and grip my leg so tight it would probably leave bruises. "What the hell is _he _doing here?" he hissed.

"Don't you dare hurt him!" I bent down and scooped Canada up, clutching him tightly to my chest. He buried his face in my shirt and cried and my eyes widened as America swung the gun in my direction again. I watched in horror as his finger pulled the trigger. I squeezed my eyes shut and had tears running down my cheeks as I waited for the bullet to pierce my chest.

The only sound was a loud click.

"Damn it!" America swore. "No bullets? What the hell!" He threw his musket down to the floor and stomped over to my couch where he plopped himself down and held his chin in his hand. I opened my eyes hesitantly, relieved to see no gun in my face, and turned around slowly to the angry teenager on the couch. I stared in fear and awe as he got up and began to pace, muttering expletives under his breath and saying "that British bastard" every now and then. This Unit looked exactly like America, minus Texas and his normal clothes. He seemed very angry, which was unusual for the personification of my country, and didn't seem to like Canada very much. He glanced over his shoulder at me and I flinched. He was _very _intimidating, even for a sixteen year old.

Fearing for my life, I grabbed his manual and ran up the stairs at a breakneck pace. I made a bee-line for the bathroom and locked the door behind me, setting Chibi Canada down in the tub. I sunk down to the floor and hurriedly flipped through the manual to the troubleshooting section.

_**Troubleshooting**_

_Problem__: You opened the box and found, instead of your normal lovable giant, an ALFRED F. JONES who looks about sixteen years old or so. He doesn't respond to you and glares off into the corner, drumming on the table with his fingernails and storming around the house. He also refuses to do anything you ask, and basically acts like an angry, angsty teenager._

_Solution__: Oops! We've gone and sent you a War for Independence!ALFRED F. JONES. In this mode, he'll absolutely refuse to see ARTHUR KIRKLAND and MATTHEW WILLIAMS but will like the presence of FRANCIS BONNEFOIS and GILBERT BEILLSCHMIDT. If you don't want him shouting at you for trying to order him around, just call Customer Services and send him right back!_

I reeled back, shocked. Panting and trying to steady my out of control heartbeat, I let my head fall back and hit the cabinet I was sitting up against. So he absolutely _refused_ to see England or Canada, and it was the same for my chibi version? Great, just great. And he'll refuse to do anything I tell him to do. Well, looks like I'm calling Customer Services.

Luckily, I had my cell phone in my pocket, so I took it out and dialed the number on the back of the manual. Chibi Canada hopped out of the tub with a wash cloth he had gotten wet and came over to me to wash away the blood on my arms and face. I waited with my panic growing for someone to pick up, and when they finally did, I almost cried from relief. That is, until I heard the pre-recorded message.

"_Thank you for calling Flying Mint Bunny Inc.'s Customer Service office. If your Unit is trying to kill you, press one,"_

I considered pressing one, but at the moment nobody was banging on the door and trying to blow my brains out with a musket, so I figured I was safe.

"_If your Unit is stuck in a specific mode, press two. If your Unit is displaying a mode not specified in the user's manual, press three. If you received a Unit you did not order and would like to exchange it, press four. If you would like to return a Unit because you don't want it any more, press five."_

I pressed five and waited. Chibi Canada climbed onto my lap to wipe my face and I could faintly hear a pair of feet stomping up the stairs.

"_We understand you want to return a Unit. Please wait while we connect you with an operator."_

"Seriously?" I mumbled. A sudden pounding on the door made me scream and I backed away in fear. Canada clutched my shirt and glared at the door, looking at the shadow underneath it that was no doubt America's feet.

"What the hell are you doing in there?" America shouted. He pounded on the door and twisted the handle, trying to open it.

"Trying to send you back! That's what!" I yelled back.

The pounding suddenly ceased.

I stared at the door, too frightened to move. Was he gonna bust it down? Was he going to try to kill me again? Hundreds of questions ran through my head and I clutched Canada closer to me. Right now he was the only thing that gave me comfort.

"_Hello. My name is Brent, and I'll be assisting you today. You said you want to return a Unit?"_

I gaped at the phone. "Brent?"

"_Lily?"_

"Uh…hi," I laughed nervously and glanced at the door. The shadows of America's feet were still there, so he hadn't gone away. Why was he staying?

On the other end of the line, Brent sighed. _"I told you ordering that Unit was a bad thing. Please don't tell me you activated him by using a British accent."_

"Um…"

"_I'm gonna take that as a yes."_

I chuckled sheepishly. "Uh, I'm sorry? Just please tell me how I can send him back."

"No! I don't wanna go back!" America yelled. He pounded on the door. "Let me in, damn it!"

"You better tell me fast before he comes in here and kills me!"

"I'm not gonna kill you,"

"_Right. Well, if he's already out of the box, then I'm afraid there's nothing I can do. We could send over FMBDS and have them deactivate the Unit, but that's pretty much it."_

"Deactivate?" I asked. Just then, the door burst open and America ran in, knocking the phone out of my hand. He was about to smash it with his foot, but I reached over and grabbed it in the nick of time. "What do you think you're doing?" I yelled.

"Don't you know what they do to Units that get sent back?" he asked, rage in his eyes. I gulped and tried backing away, but I was already up against the tub. America leaned down and gripped my shirt, pulling me so close I could practically see the hatred in his eyes. "They kill them," he spat. "They tie them up in chairs and shoot them. Sometimes it's lethal injection, other times it's torture until they die. Their favorite torture instrument is a baseball bat."

I gasped. Was all of this true? But these Units weren't even human, were they? How could someone do that to them just because they weren't wanted anymore? That was cruel beyond belief!

I raised the phone to my ear hesitantly and heard Brent shouting something. "Brent," I snapped. He shut up immediately. I took a deep breath and prepared to confirm my suspicions. "Tell me something. Are these Units humans?"

There was dead silence on the line.

"…_I shouldn't be telling you, it's against company policy, but yes. Hetalia Units are real people. They're genetically modified to resemble and act like the real characters."_

"And is what America said about deactivation true?"

"…_Unfortunately, yes."_

I snapped the phone shut and put it down on the floor. America loosened his grip on my shirt and sighed in relief, the fear dissipating from his eyes. But of course, he narrowed his eyes at me and sat down against the wall, glancing coldly at Canada.

"Why'd you hang up?" America asked quietly. I looked at him with pity. Poor kid. He must've seen a lot of bad things when he was… growing up.

"If I knew what they were going to do to you if I sent you back, I would've never called in the first place. Nobody deserves that, especially you. You're just a kid! I can't even begin to imagine what they'd do with Canada if I sent him back…" I shuddered and brought Chibi Canada closer to my side.

"That's why they were trying to get rid of me. Apparently I was too much of a hassle. Many other Units have been shipped back already. I've seen a few get killed." America looked down at his shoes sadly. I wanted so much to comfort him, to hug him and tell him I would never think of giving him back ever again, but it was probably too soon. Instead, I put a hesitant hand on his shoulder. He flinched and stiffed under my touch, but eventually relaxed and turned to me. He threw his arms around me and buried his head in my chest and I could hear his muffled sobs. I was pushed back with an "Oof!" and sat there stunned, but I quickly returned the hug and rubbed his back, comforting him in any way I could.

"I'm so sorry," I whispered. "I'll never do it again, I promise."

And we stayed like that for the rest of the night, in each other's arms. Chibi Canada eventually joined in the hug and at that moment, I felt like we were a family. I felt like a mother who needed to protect her kids. I would never let anything hurt my Units, not while I was still alive. I swore to myself then and there that I would do anything to keep them safe.

I only hoped nothing bad would happen to ruin the new bond we created together.

* * *

**AN: Cheesy ending is cheesy. It tastes like American cheese...**

**Mei-Ling out. Peace! :3**


	3. Chapter 3: What The Heck Is The FMBDS?

**AN: Wooo! I'm back! I really don't have time for a fancy author's note because I'm starving and dinner's almost ready. Tacos FTW! I'd just like to thank everyone that has reviewed/favorited/alerted this story. Your support really means a lot to me!**

**I don't feel like putting a disclaimer. Deal with it, fanfiction!**

* * *

On Wednesday I didn't have classes, so I got to stay home and find out just how bad my new America Unit was. Honestly, if Flying Mint Bunny Inc. didn't kill the Units that were sent back, I would've sent America back the first time he started complaining. As soon as he got up that morning (He insisted on sleeping with me and Chibi Canada because he claimed the FMBDS were out to get him. I still don't know what the FMBDS is.), I asked him to take Chibi Canada downstairs for me because I was going to take a shower. He blatantly refused to do it, even when I _politely _asked him, and stalked off downstairs. When I got out of the shower, however, Canada was nowhere to be found in my room, so I guess America complied but just didn't want me to see it.

I walked downstairs with my hair still dripping and turned into the living room to see America watching TV with a scowl on his face. Chibi Canada had disappeared, maybe it was because he was Canada and he tended to do that a lot in the anime, but I wasn't too sure. America looked at me, well, more like _glared _at me, as I walked by and into the kitchen and snickered when I passed by the freezer. I looked at him warily and took out a bowl, a spoon, some milk, and a box of cereal. If America wanted to be all secretive, fine. I for one couldn't care less about what he was doing. Okay, that's a lie…

A muffled voice came from my left and I jumped when I heard it. _"Aidez-moi!" _ A small voice screamed. I recognized it instantly as Canada and it seemed to be coming from the freezer. Was that why America was snickering when I went past it? Is that why I couldn't find Canada anywhere? Good Lord, he better not've stuffed him in the freezer!

I flung the door open and sure enough, Canada stood shivering and smooshed underneath the bottom shelf. I gasped and took him out instantly. His skin was turning blue and he was as cold as Antarctica! "America," I said, my voice low and accusing. "What's wrong with you? He could've died!"

"Oh, relax, he's fine!" he said. He smiled mischievously and turned off the TV, then strode into the kitchen and began to raid my fridge. I smacked his arm and he glared, but continued looking for food. In my arms, Chibi Canada shivered so much that I started shaking, so I rushed upstairs to the bathroom to stair filling the tub with hot water.

"_Je-Je-J'ai f-f-f-froid," _he said as his teeth clattered so fast it almost blended into one long monotonous sound. I hurriedly stripped him of his clothes, which was only his oversized sweatshirt that didn't do a god job of keeping him warm apparently and a diaper, and set him in the tub of steaming water. He instantly sighed in relief and sunk lower, getting every inch of him wet. I watched him closely to make sure he was thawing out, and in a few minutes his skin started to turn pink again. I sighed in relief and let my head drop into my hands, but my relief soon turned into anger when I thought about America doing this to him. Not only did he do physical harm to me yesterday (the scratches had scabbed over by now on my face and arms), but now he almost froze Canada. Well, that was the last straw. I know I only had him for a day, but I was already fed up with his attitude.

As soon as Chibi Canada was warm and all set, I drained the tub and dressed him in his other sweatshirt because it wasn't cold like the previous one he was wearing. I didn't have any diapers, so I just improvised and wrapped his butt in a lot of toilet paper and tissues. I'd have to go to the store and buy some diapers soon. I stormed down the stairs and into the kitchen, setting Canada down on the couch as I passed the living room. America was sitting on one of the barstools behind the counter and eating a bowl of cereal and he looked up at me when I stomped in with a murderous look on my face. He started to laugh but quickly quieted down when he saw that I was truly angered by his stupid actions. He looked down at his bowl guiltily and waited for the lecture he was bound to get.

Well, he was right. He was going to get a lecture and I wasn't going to hold back. At that moment, an angry shout I didn't even know I was capable of producing burst from my mouth and I flew off into a rage, not even stopping to breathe.

"ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND? YOU COULD'VE KILLED THE POOR THING, AMERICA! _KILLED! _IF YOU DO SOMETHING STUPID LIKE THAT AGAIN, I WON'T HESITATE TO SEND YOU BACK TO FLYING MINT BUNNY INC. UNDERSTAND? YOU ARE GROUNDED, MISTER!"

America's head snapped up and he glared when I said I would send him back. I covered my own mouth with my hands and looked at him apologetically. I didn't mean it, I was just too angry to see reason! Besides, I had promised him yesterday that I would never do it again. I wasn't thinking straight at the moment, I'm telling you!

America didn't seem to understand that, however. He glared at me and slammed his hands down on the countertop before pushing himself out of his seat and storming away to some other part of the house. I watched him go guiltily and then looked to Chibi Canada for help, but he was just as lost as I was. A moment later I heard the slamming of a door upstairs, maybe he locked himself in the bathroom like I did yesterday. I sighed and ran upstairs after him; this was all my fault.

"America, wait!" I called. I reached the bathroom but the door was open. I looked across the hall and saw that my bedroom door was closed, so he must've gone in there. Slowly walking up to it, I twisted the handle and pushed on the door lightly. I could hear muffled sniffles, which made me feel a billion times guiltier. America was face down on my bed with his head buried in one of my pillows. His whole body was shaking with sobs and it broke my heart to know that I caused it. "America…" I started.

"Get out of here! Leave me alone!" he yelled. He lifted his head up from the pillow and glared at me through tear filled eyes. I saw the tear tracks down his cheeks and stepped closer, trying to comfort him. He backed away and put his hands up to stop me, but I pushed past them and grabbed him into a hug. He struggled for a few moments before finally giving up and crying into my shirt. "Don't you ever send me back," he hissed. "Why would you deliberately kill a kid?"

Man, he was really good a guilt tripping someone. But I would never try to kill someone anyway. "Look, I just wasn't thinking straight. You know I would never actually send you back; I promised you yesterday. I was just really angry and didn't mean it, I swear." I told him. He probably wouldn't believe me though and I wouldn't blame him. I had already screwed up; now they only thing left to do was to forgive and move on. Hopefully I wouldn't make so many mistakes in the future.

After a few minutes, America stopped crying but still clung on to my shirt. He breathed heavily and clutched onto my shirt tightly and as if his life depended on it. I inwardly laughed at the irony because technically, his life depended on if I sent him back or not. But that was beside the point. Right now, I was focused on getting America to forgive and trust me, although getting him to trust me might take awhile.

"America?" I asked. "Are you alright now? Come on, let's go downstairs." America nodded and wiped his face, then got up and walked ahead of me. As we walked downstairs and America sat back down in his chair and continued watching TV like nothing ever happened, I tried to think of ways to make it up to him somehow. I thought about taking him out for ice cream, but that would require going out in public and considering the way he's dressed, I don't think it's going to happen. Maybe I could go out and get him ice cream and bring it back, or go to the supermarket and just get a giant tub of some?

"_J'ai faim!" _Chibi Canada cried. I picked him up and set him on the counter.

"Okay, little dude, what do you want?"

"_Je ne vous comprends pas," _he said. I sighed and got out a box of cereal. Maybe he'd want that.

"I don't understand you," I told him as I shook my head. I showed him the box of cereal and his eyes lit up; apparently he really liked Honey Nut Cheerios. I got out a bowl, spoon, and the jug of milk, then prepared his breakfast. As he ate, I took out my laptop and checked my email to order my next free Unit. Maybe I would get lucky and receive a Unit that could actually take care of itself, like England or China or maybe even Russia. But Brent said it was just a random selection, so all I could do was hope for the best and prepare for the worst.

I pulled up my email and as predicated I could now order my next Unit. I filled out my information again (Didn't they have me on record or something?) and before I pressed the send button, I noticed a small box that I never saw before. It read:

_By clicking this box, we send your information to our data base and you no longer have to fill out your information every time you want a new Unit. Warning: Units can be shipped whenever and with no warning. _

I shrugged and clicked the box. Who cared if the Units came whenever? It was getting pretty annoying having to fill out my info every single time, so as long as I never had to do that again, I didn't care. I nodded lightly and logged out of my account, then shut down the laptop and turned to the TV. America was watching the History Channel, which was currently playing an episode of Modern Marvels. They were talking about lollipops, and just looking at them made me want something sweet. I went into the kitchen and opened the cookie cupboard. Yeah, I have a whole cupboard dedicated to cookies. What? I'm a girl! Girls need their sweets! I took out a box of Oreos and started eating them, not really caring that it wasn't a proper breakfast.

"Hey America," I said. "What do you wanna do today?"

He shrugged and looked over his shoulder. I noticed his eyes were still a bit red and it made me frown the slightest bit. "I don't know. Why don't we just stay inside?"

"But it's a beautiful day out! Why don't we go to the beach or something?"

He shrugged again. "Beach sounds good."

I turned to Canada. "What about you, little dude? You wanna go swimming?"

Chibi Canada cocked his head to the side like a dog. _"Quoi?" _he asked in that ridiculously adorable voice of his.

"_Est-ce que tu veux aller __à__ la plage?" _America growled. I looked at him incredulously.

"Since when did you know French?" I questioned. "You know, this would've helped tremendously if I knew sooner."

"I learned it during the Revolution. After all, France helped us."

Oh, that's right, Huh, I guess I forgot then. I turned back to Chibi Canada and he nodded enthusiastically. I guess that was settled then. To the beach!

I stopped myself before I threw my hands in the air and exclaimed that. America and Canada didn't have bathing suits! I'm sure my brother left some clothes in his room after he moved out, but I don't think we kept _everything. _I sighed and picked up the house phone and dialed my boyfriend's number. I guess shopping was inevitable today.

"_Hello?" _I melted at my boyfriend's voice.

"Hey, Anthony, can you do me a favor today?"

"_What? Another one? It depends. What kind of favor?"_

"I need you to watch my cousin's sons again," I replied.

"_Sons? I thought there was only one."_

Crap, I forgot about that. "Yeah, Matthew, the one who only speaks French, has a brother and he was just dropped off today. I really need to do some errands. Can you watch them for me while I'm gone?"

Anthony sighed. _"I guess. I assume you want me over there now?"_

I smiled. "Would you please?"

"_Sure, anything for you, sweetie."_

"Aw, you're too sweet,"

"_Uh huh, I'll see you when I get there." _He hung up and I did too. I picked Chibi Canada up and brought him into the living room where I set him on the couch. I took the controller from America and turned the TV off. Of course he protested and started calling me names, but I didn't pay any attention to that. Little bugger could call me whatever he wanted. After all, words were just words. They didn't hurt me in the slightest.

"Alright, listen up," I said. America glared at me and turned away, determined to look like he didn't care. "My boyfriend's coming over to watch you guys while I get some shopping done. Please be nice to him. Don't give him a hard time. And yes, I'm talking to you, America." America pouted and crossed his arms.

"Pfft, whatever."

"I mean it. You better be on your best behavior, and that goes for you too, Canada. Granted, you can't understand a word of what I'm saying, but I assume America will translate, yes?"

He scoffed. "Whatever." I shrugged; that was good enough for me. I ran upstairs and got dressed quickly, then hurried back downstairs to get my purse and put my sandals on. I went out into the garage and opened the big metal doors, then got into my car and backed out into the driveway. Anthony was just coming down the driveway, so he pulled over to let me through. I rolled down the window and leaned out of the car.

"Thanks, bro, I owe you one!" I yelled over the roaring of the engines. He nodded and blew me a kiss, then we both drove in opposite directions. I smiled and rolled up window and turned down the street.

It was time to go shopping.

* * *

The first place I went to was Babies R Us. I didn't really know how old Chibi Canada was, but he was small enough to look like a toddler, so I was going to treat him like one. As soon as I walked in, a lady who worked there walked up to me and smiled. "Hi, how can I help you today?" she said. I smiled back and took a carriage as we began to walk.

"I'm looking for some diapers, a car seat, a few outfits, a bathing suit, and maybe some toys, now that I think about it." Wow, there was a lot of stuff I needed. The lady smiled knowingly and she led me towards the diaper aisle.

"Ah, I see. A new baby? You look quite young to be a mother already."

I paled. I don't want her to think I was a whore or something! "Uh, yeah. I'm in my mid twenties so…"

"Don't worry. I had my kids when I was young to. I didn't want to be stuck with teens in my forties!" She laughed and started explaining the different diaper brands to me, telling me which ones to get if I wanted something soft and breathable, yet comfy and durable. In the end, I picked out a huge box of Huggies. We then went down to the car seat section and I picked out a car seat that would fit in my small Volvo. While I was here, I picked out a stroller since Chibi Canada would probably start whining if he had to walk for too long. As I walked around the store for more things with the lady to guide me, I tried to keep track of the price in my head, but it was getting to big to remember. All of this would cost a fortune, I'm sure, but Canada needed it.

Finally, after getting a few floaties and a bunch of cute outfits, we finally headed over to the checkout line and the lady rung me up. I took out my credit card for this one. The total was a whopping 350 dollars! The car seat and stroller were the bulk of the purchase, but because I bought so many shorts and shirts, not to mention the big box of diapers, that helped to raise the total further. Now that I realized how much I bought, I wondered how it would all fit into my car.

By a miracle, everything fit, but there was very little room for anything else. The next stop on my list was Macy's to hopefully find a bathing suit for America and some new beach towels, not to mention sunscreen. As I walked around in the boy's section, I sighed and stopped to calm down. So this was what being a mother was like. Well, maybe I'd put off having kids for a few more years. This sucked! Not only was it giving me a headache, but it was draining my energy already. I shook my head and continued looking. I wouldn't finish shopping any sooner if I stalled and moved slowly.

Eventually, I found a nice black pair of swimming trunks for America and a few more towels. I picked out a bunch of different kinds of sunscreen and added them to my carriage, then went to the checkout line. When I was finished paying for everything, I quickly walked out to the parking lot and loaded my things into the car. Now it was truly packed. I could barely even see out the back window when I was trying to back out of the parking lot, that's how bad it was. Nevertheless, I managed to get out without any damage and soon I was on my way home.

But of course, things weren't so pretty back there.

As soon as I walked into the house with bags of clothes and other things in my hands, the sound of screaming and yelling could be heard. I walked into the living room and saw Anthony on the couch, an enraged America on top of him and beating his chest. "Give me the controller, damn it!" he yelled. Anthony shook his head and held his hands away from him. He started yelling for America to get off of him, and Canada was sitting on one of the recliners and crying his eyes out. I immediately dropped my things and rushed over to hold him, glaring at the occupants on the couch the whole time.

"What is going on here?" I yelled. Immediately, all quarreling ceased and they both turned to grin sheepishly at me. Canada wailed and stuffed his face in my chest and I glared at Anthony, then America.

"Hi, Lily…" Anthony said. I rolled my eyes and patted Chibi Canada's head. He looked up at me and smiled, then turned so he could see in front of him. He saw the toys in the bag on the floor and wriggled out of my grasp, jumping and running to the floor. He squealed with happiness and started jumping up and down. I smiled and went back out to the garage to get the rest of the stuff.

"Anthony!" I called. "Be a dear and stopped fighting with America so you can help me unload some stuff."

"America?"

Oh crap. I laughed nervously and started to lift Canada's stroller out of the trunk. "Did I say America? Wow, that was a fail. I meant to say Alfred." Anthony appeared a few seconds later and came down the stairs, looking at me curiously.

"Right." He came over and took the stroller from me as I handed it to him, then started fiddling with the car seat after I told him to install it in the back of my car. "Geez, how much stuff did you buy?" He handed me the box of diapers and I started walking into the house with them.

"Oh hey," I said before I forgot. "Do you want to come to the beach with us?"

"Nah, I can't." he replied. "I have midterms soon, remember? We all do. I need to study."

Oh crap, that's right! I had been so busy with these guys today that I forgot to study! I shrugged and pushed that thought aside. I didn't have to study today; after all, I had tomorrow off too. I brought the diapers inside and set them down on the couch, then picked up the bags I dropped. America came out of the bathroom a few seconds later already in his bathing suit and in his arms he held Canada who was dressed in his bathing suit too. "Aw, you guys look so cute!" I exclaimed as I rushed up the stairs to get changed myself. America rolled his eyes and set Chibi Canada down.

"Shut up, just go get changed."

I decided to drop it and did as he so kindly suggested. As soon as I was all set, I went downstairs and got the towels, then we all piled into my car. I strapped Canada in his new car seat and America laughed because he got to sit in the front seat. Anthony yelled goodbye and left, then we were able to back out with ease. In a matter of minutes (hey, it's a small town), we were at the beach and already setting up our towels.

The beach wasn't actually a beach, it was just a somewhat big stretch of sand owned by the town on a big lake. Luna Beach it was called, and the lake it was on was called Luna Lake. It was named that because the moon was always visible here, even when it was new. You could always tell where the moon was.

I walked over to the shade underneath a nearby tree and set my towel down. America immediately went into the water, but I had to literally drag him out and make him dry off and put on sunscreen. I smothered Canada in sunscreen and told him to wait a few minutes while it set, but he didn't listen (and it's not like he could understand me anyway) and went into the shallow end. I went in with him and sat down in the shallow water as he played with his floaties on his arms. There were no other people on the beach, which wasn't any cause for concern since it was never very busy, but there was a family out on the water's edge that took turns jumping off the dock they had. I watched them through my sunglasses and glanced over to America in the deep end every now and then. He seemed to be enjoying himself, which was a good thing, and I saw he was swimming out to the dock that the town had provided. Canada pointed out towards America with worry on his face and I laughed.

"Relax!" I told him. Faintly, I heard the splash of water as one of the family members across the pond jumped into the water. "He knows how to swim. Watch, he's about to jump off the dock,"

America climbed up the latter and stood on the dock, readjusting the goggles on his face. He took a deep breath, waved, and then ran and jumped off the dock, tucking his legs under him to make a cannonball. He made a huge splash and Canada squealed excitedly and I clapped. When he resurfaced, he smiled and waved his hand in the air.

"Come out here!" he called. "The water's- ah!"

All of a sudden, he disappeared under the water. I stood up, shocked, and took off my sunglasses. Canada screamed and tried to swim out to him, but I held onto his hand so he couldn't move. I waited anxiously, holding my breath, for him to resurface, but after a few seconds, he didn't.

Something was seriously wrong.

"America!" I yelled. I ran and dove into the water once it was deep enough. I swam like there was no tomorrow, but when I was halfway there, I cursed in my head when I realized I didn't have any goggles to see underwater. I looked down below me and could no longer see the sand. Instead, the water was black, and I could feel the tall seaweed brush up against my ankles. I shivered and continued swimming until I got to the dock and then quickly climbed the latter. Leaning over the side and shivering from the breeze, I scanned the water for any sign of America down below, but I couldn't see him. "America!" I screamed, tears coming to my eyes, or maybe that was just water dripping from my hair. "Where are you?"

A few feet away, bubbles came up and popped on the surface. I took a deep breath and dove under, feeling around blindly for America's hand. I really didn't want to open my eyes in the gross lake water, but right now I didn't really have a choice. Reluctantly, I opened my eyes and looked around. The fuzzy outline of America's arm could barely be seen below me, but it was better than nothing. I resurfaced and took a deep breath, then dove down to find him, but it was proving to be quite difficult. The water out here had to be at least eight feet deep, and my ears were already beginning to hurt. I strained my eyes to see, and suddenly, America's goggles floated up and hit me in the face. I heard America's scream resounding through the water and bubbles rushed past my face. He must been just below me, but I couldn't even see him.

I quickly resurfaced and put the goggles on, then took another deep breath and dove under. Seeing was much easier now, and I could clearly see America's arms reaching up frantically towards me. I swam down and tried to pull him up, but he seemed to be stuck or something was holding him down. Barely conscious, he pouted weakly to his ankle. My eyes widened as I swam down and found a chain on his ankle connected to a block of concrete. Hurriedly, I tried to take the chain off, but it looked like it needed a key to open. I cursed and grunted as I picked up the concrete block.

"Swim!" I tried to yell, but I doubt he could make out the word and much less hear it. "Swim, America! Swim!"

By a miracle he heard me and with his last ounce of strength, propelled himself upward where his head broke the surface and he was no doubt gasping for air. I swam up after him, struggling to hold the block in my hands, and broke the surface a minute afterwards. "America!" I yelled breathlessly as I heard him coughing up water. "Go! Swim to shallower water!" He nodded as he coughed and swam slowly inland. I swam behind him, my arms aching, although I wouldn't really call it swimming because all I could do was kick my legs and fail at keeping my head above the water. When we were finally in the shallow water where I was previously with Chibi Canada, I dropped the block of concrete and America relaxed and laid back on the sand, breathing heavily. Canada rushed over to him at once and started crying on his chest, but he was too tired to push him away. I brushed the hair out of his eyes and collapsed next to him, my hands shaking.

"America, oh God, what happened?"

"The FMBDS," he gasped. "I saw one of them,"

"What? One of who?" I demanded. I fiddled with the chain around his ankle but I couldn't for the life of me get it off.

"An agent. He swam up behind me…latched it to me ankle…dropped the key…"

I sat up immediately. "He dropped the key." I repeated. "Where?"

"…A little ways away from me…"

Needing no further explanation, I dove back into the water and swam back to where America went under. I took a deep breath and swam down, thanking my lucky stars I had bought the pair of goggles I was wearing, otherwise this would be impossible. I swam a little ways north from where America sank but couldn't find anything. I was running out of air, so I was about to head back up for more when the sun shone down at just the right angle and reflected off the key, alerting me to its location. I hurriedly grabbed it and went up for air, then started swimming back towards the shore. I dragged myself over to America and fumbled with it in the keyhole, but finally, the chain unlocked and fell off his ankle. I sighed in relief and quickly started to gather our things. There was no way we were going to stay here a minute longer.

I threw everything into the trunk and quickly buckled Canada in his car seat. America took his place in shot gun next to me and I turned the car on and floor it down the road. We drove in silence until we turned onto my street and America looked at me.

"I'm so sorry," he tried to say, but it came out hoarse. "I didn't mean to-"

"None of this was your fault." I said. "If anything, it's mine. I was the one who got you into this mess in the first place."

"Yeah, but if I hadn't-"

"No buts!" I yelled. America flinched and I sighed. "I'm sorry, I'm just shaken, that's all. How did they find you?"

"GPS. Every Unit has a chip in their skin." He turned away, his face grim. "They'll come for me. You guys aren't safe."

I looked at him after I parked my car in the garage. "Hey," I said softly. He turned around with tears in his eyes. "I promised you I would protect you guys, and I don't break promises." I leaned over and hugged him, and he smiled and hugged me tightly. We stayed like that for a few minutes, when suddenly, there was a knock on the car window.

"G'day mate!"

I rolled down the window to see Brent standing there with a box behind his back.

Oh crap.

* * *

**AN: Oh lovely. America almost drowned. This is only the beginning of a series of schemes to kill America muahahahaha! Please review/comment, blah blah blah. I really hope I don't sound like a review whore to you guys.**

**Mei-Ling out. Peace! :3**


	4. Chapter 4: Not France, But Still A Perv

**AN: What's up bros? As you can see, I am back with another chapter. So, go read it. Now. Like, seriously. Read it.**

* * *

Brent smiled and handed me the clipboard in his hands, along with another thick manual. He held onto the roller the Unit's box was on and rested his head on his hands, his eyes flashing mischievously. "That was touching." he remarked.

I glared at him and looked at the manual in my hands. My eyes widened. "Oh no. No, no, no, no, _no!_ And you shouldn't be talking! Your stupid FMBDS almost killed America!"

Brent sighed and rolled his eyes. "I told you getting that specific America Unit was a bad idea, but did you listen? Obviously not. And for the record, I don't deal with the FMBDS. I'm in a whole other department."

"Can you guys stop talking about me like I'm not here?" America snapped. I hushed him, much to his protesting, and quickly scribbled my signature on the line. Thinking about it now, my reaction to my newest Unit was kind of unfair. He had been banned from the anime, as far as I knew, so there wasn't much I knew about him. I'm sad to say that I jumped to conclusions too soon, but it all worked out in the end because those conclusions were, unfortunately, true.

"Well, I'll wheel this up to the front door, then." Brent said. He laughed at my horrified expression and started walking out of the garage. America and I got out of the car and I unbuckled Chibi Canada from his car seat. He was sleeping, and it was so cute that I almost fainted. America muttered something along the lines of "stupid girls" and I quickly reminded him that this "stupid girl" just saved his life. He shut up after that and we walked into the house. I went immediately to the front door where Brent was waiting with my new Unit and in the driveway behind him I saw the all too familiar Flying Mint Bunny truck. Huh, funny. I never even noticed it as I was driving down the driveway. Or maybe he was driving behind me the whole time, I don't really know.

Brent brought the box in and left after wishing me good luck and telling me how sorry he was. I dismissed him without a second thought and turned my attention to the manual, hurriedly leafing through to find the section telling me how to unpack my Unit properly lest I want to get myself killed. Before I got to that though, I took a brief look at the introduction because I had skipped it with my previous Units.

_**YONG-SOO IM: User Guide and Manual**_

_**CONGRATULATIONS!**__ For some reason, you have just purchased your very own YONG-SOO IM unit! This manual was made in order for you, the owner, to understand how to extract the very best of your unit. And believe us, you will need this manual._

"Lovely," I muttered. America appeared at my side and read over my shoulder while eating an apple. He laughed as I paled at what was under Technical Specifications.

_**Technical Specifications:**_

_Name:__ Yong-Soo Im/Im Yong-Soo. Will respond to "South Korea", "North Korea", "Korea", "Older Brother", "Yong-soo-oppa", "Yong-soo-hyung", and indirectly to "Pedophile"; if in Nationalist mode, (s)he will reply to "Hwa-Jeong", "Sister", "North Korea", and "Bitch"._

_Age:__ 18_

_Place of Manufacture:__ Seoul, Korea_

_Height:__ 5'8"_

_Weight:__ 135 lbs_

_Length:__ Longer than you'd expect _

"Longer than you'd expect?" I cried. America erupted into a fit of laughter and doubled over, clutching his side. "America!" I scolded. "That's not funny, that's disgusting! Flying Mint Bunny Inc. is a bunch of perverts!"

"Just...keep going," he said between gasps for air. I shivered and flipped to the Unpacking section. Hopefully that would make me forget about that horrible "Length" crap. I'll have you know I am a modest woman!

_**Removal of your YONG-SOO IM from Packaging**_

_This is actually a much harder task than you may think. If you wake your unit incorrectly, then you will never hear the end of it; if you move him before he is completely awake, then you might accidentally make him hate you. To avoid the aforementioned scenarios, we have provided a list of safe ways in which you can awaken your unit:_

"Fantastic," I remarked. "The last thing I need is a pissed off 18 year old to deal with all the time. Honestly, America's enough..."

"Hey!" America yelled.

_1. Stand next to the box, preferably prepared to block flying box lids, and say either, "Aru!" or, "Desu." Your YONG-SOO IM will manage to sidekick or palm the box lid off and get up, and you must immediately reprogram him lest he grope you in the belief that you are one of his brothers._

_2. Take either the CD recording of "Arirang", or one of the provided drama DVDs, and play them loudly. If using the CD, you will hear humming and sometimes singing from the box, and it is safe to remove the top; if you play the dramas, then you will hear irritated grunting caused by your unit's annoyance at missing the drama. You can then remove the top as well, though he will probably jump up and shock you before running to the television or computer where the drama is playing._

_3. Open a jar of the provided kimchi and set it on a plate. Use a fan or other such machine to waft the smell towards the box. You can also do this with a plate of boolnak jungol or spiced jjol myun. This route will make your YONG-SOO IM hungry and he will whine for food until you feed him._

_4. Mispronounce Korean. Say, "Annyeonghaseyo!" as terribly as you can manage. This will result in a lengthy Korean pronunciation lesson from your unit, who will jump up violently when he hears you speak._

_5. Open the box and poke your unit's curl. He will shudder and wake up, and he might be horny, so you probably want to watch out. _

Number one was definitely out of the question, same as number five. I _really_ wasn't in the mood to be groped, thank you very much. I won't play the dramas, maybe the CD. I could do number three, but I really don't want to hear him whine. I wasn't in the mood to be lectured on a language that I'd never bother to learn, so that was a no to number four. I sighed. Number two it was then. I reached for the Arirang CD that was next to the jars of kimchi that were on the top of the box and put it in the CD player underneath the TV. I turned it up loud enough that Korea could hear it, but soft enough so my neighbors didn't complain. In a few seconds, singing came from the box and I hesitantly undid the latches on the top of the box and opened the lid.

The curl was the first thing I saw. Not because it was poking me in the eye, no, but because it had a face. It smiled and its eyes scrunched up in that weird anime way. I looked at it, horrified, and shook my head. Since when do hair curls have _faces? _That doesn't make any sense! Well, its anime, I suppose. Anything goes in an anime.

The humming stopped as soon as light poured into the box and Korea looked up, his big brown eyes looking at me curiously. He smiled and pushed on the side of the box with his hands. "Um, can you get me out of here?" he asked. "It's kind of cramped, da-ze."

I blinked. "Oh uh, sure." I backed away from the box and looked around for a latch to open the side, but I couldn't find anything. "I don't know how to open it." I told him. Korea whined and told me to stand back, so I did. In a matter of seconds, splinters of wood were flying everywhere as Korea kicked and punched his way through the box. He stumbled out of it smiling and took a deep breath with his eyes closed.

"Ah, that's better, da-ze!" he exclaimed. America scoffed and walked away, alerting the new Unit to his presence. Chibi Canada squirmed to see Korea in my arms since I was holding him to shield him from the flying bits of the box. He smiled brightly when he saw Korea and tried to reach out for his hair curl, but not only was he too far away, his arms were wicked short so he could barely reach anything.

Korea smiled and looked at the other two Units with interest. "A Chibi Canada and War for Independence America? Quite the nations, huh?" he said. He reached over and took Canada from my arms, cuddling him protectively. Canada took this as the opportunity to pull his curl. He reached up and grabbed it, giving it a good yank. All of a sudden, Korea's face flushed red and a perverted grin stretched across his lips. He put down Chibi Canada and turned to me, his eyes glinting mischievously.

I backed away uncertainly. "Uh, Korea…?" I asked nervously. He looked like France right now, I'm dead serious. If The Italy Brothers' curls were their erogenous zones, then surely Korea's was-

Suddenly, Korea's hands were on my chest and he was groping my breasts. I looked at him bewildered and tried to push him off of me, but his grip to too strong and frankly, it was quite painful as well.

"Your breasts belong to me, da-ze!" he declared happily. I screamed and smacked his head, but that didn't seem to faze him. I kneed him in the balls and he dropped to the floor, groaning in pain. America's laughed resounded throughout the house and he appeared by the staircase in a few seconds clutching his side and his face red from laughing so hard. Canada looked at Korea curiously and reached for his curl again, but I grabbed him in time and held him over my breasts protectively.

"No, bad Canada, bad! Don't pull Korea's curl, understand? I don't ever want to experience that again…" I shuttered and looked down at Korea with disgust, but it quickly faded into guilt. He actually looked in pain since apparently Units were humans and they could feel pain. He clutched his crotch and rolled around on the floor, moaning softly. If I looked close enough I could even seen tears at the corners of his eyes. Sighing, I grabbed his hand and led him over to the couch. He collapsed on it gratefully and stared at me fearfully. Out of instinct, his hands hovered over his crotch. "Relax, I won't do it again, I promise." I said.

"How do I know you're not lying, da-ze?"

I laughed. "I keep my promises. But," I pointed a finger at his face sternly. "if you ever grope me or get anywhere near my breasts again, I won't hesitate to kick you where it hurts most." Korea whimpered and backed up as far as he could go, which wasn't very far. America looked at me with slight fear in his eyes and I have to admit, he was doing a pretty good job of keeping his cool. Canada wiggled in my arms and I put him down on the black recliner away from Korea. I didn't need him trying to pull his curl anytime soon.

Now that I realized it, all of my Units had erogenous zones.

I face palmed.

I could only hope that trying to pull each others' curls wouldn't become a daily activity in my household.

America looked at me awkwardly and scooted farther away. "Sooooo," he drawled. "What now?"

I shrugged. "I dunno. What do you guys want to do? I have nothing planned for the rest of the day."

"Let's eat food!" Korea suddenly shouted. All traces of pain were gone and he jumped off the couch and walked over to one of the jars of kimchi that was on the floor near the shattered remains of the box he came in. "I'm starving, da-ze!" He opened the jar and took a big whiff, then stomped into the kitchen like a madman. America followed him, saying something along the lines of "That shit smells nasty!" I have to admit, as soon as I got a whiff of whatever was in that jar, I almost gagged and tears came to my eyes. Not only was it spicy, but it reeked of rotting cabbage. I covered my nose, picked up Canada, and followed them into the kitchen anyway.

"What is that stuff?" I questioned as Korea took a paper plate and began spooning the stuff onto it. I never even saw him grab a spoon! What the heck? America noticed my confused expression and laughed.

"I grabbed the spoon." he said. All I could say was an embarrassed "Oh,"

"It's called kimchi," Korea replied, completely ignoring America's previous statement. "It's pickled cabbage and other vegetables. It's really spicy and really tasty, da-ze! Do you want to try some?" He pushed the plate my way and I wrinkled my nose in disgust. I certainly didn't look appetizing, that's for sure. But I couldn't be so rude, so reluctantly, I grabbed the spoon from the incredibly eager Korea and hesitantly took a spoonful of the red substance, for lack of a better term. I brought it up to my lips and licked it carefully, cringing at its foul taste. Korea looked at me expectantly, so I opened my mouth and shoved all of it in at once.

It was…different, to say the least. It was also very spicy, and I coughed a few times as it burned my throat. I had never been a fan of pickled vegetables so it was quite new and honestly, it made me want to barf. But because Korea just _had _to look as innocent and happy as a child, I had no choice but to grin and bear it. I smiled as I continued to chew the nasty veggies and Korea looked absolutely delighted when I swallowed it heavily. He leaned forward and his whole body was practically on the table as he looked at me with a grin so wide I thought for sure his lips would be sore for a while.

"So, do you like it?" he asked after I swallowed it. It took every ounce of my willpower to not make a face, but America could tell I didn't care for it and he chuckled lightly. Korea paid him no heed as he shoveled more kimchi on the plate and pushed it back in front of me. I shook my head politely and said that I should start making dinner since it was already six o'clock (How the heck did that happen?). Korea pouted but was happy again when he realized he had the kimchi all to himself. Suddenly, his eyes brightened and he sat up straight. "Hey, why don't I cook dinner tonight, da-ze?" he asked.

I looked at him questioningly. "Depends. How good of a cook are you?"

Korea smiled and walked around into the kitchen, grabbing the jar of kimchi when he was on the other side of the counter. "I'm Korea!" he exclaimed. "Amazing food originated in me, da-ze! I make the best Korean food in the world!"

"Um, I wasn't taking about Korean food-"

"Why don't we have hamburgers instead?" America suggested.

"_Non! Mangeons des crêpes à la place!" _Canada piped up. I jumped, surprised, and looked at Chibi Canada who was on the floor and reaching up to me. Huh, he had been so quiet I forgot he was here! Well, it was Canada. He tended to disappear for awhile. I recognized the word "crêpes" as "pancakes" and quickly shook my head.

"No, Canada. Pancakes aren't a proper dinner."

"I'll say," Korea snorted. "Come on, whatever-your-name-is, let me cook! I can make you a kimchi dish! You'll love it since you already love kimchi, da-ze!"

Now it was America's turn to snort, but he never said anything. I sighed and caved. What was the harm in letting him cook? He wasn't like England, so there was no worry that he'd burn the kitchen down. But his manual said he was only eighteen! Surely he couldn't be _that _great of a cook at such a young age! Heck, I was almost twenty-five and I could barely cook for myself! But if Korea said he could do it, then I suppose there's no harm in letting him try. I put my hands up in surrender and America groaned and rolled his eyes.

"Alright," I said. Might as well let him have his way for the night. But after that, _I _was in charge of things around here. "And my name is Lily. Call me whatever you want, just not something inappropriate."

"Why would I do that?" Korea asked. America scoffed and went into the living room.

"Oh, you'd be surprised."

I glared at him and began to take plates out of the cupboard. "What is that supposed to mean?" I asked coldly. Since when was I a bad person?

America smiled cheekily and turned on the TV. "You really know how to threaten someone with death, and that alone makes you a real bitch."

I ignored his remark and continued to set the table as Korea started to bring water to a boil on the stove, but what America said wouldn't leave my head. I glanced back at him angrily every now and then, wondering.

I wasn't that bad…was I?

* * *

We all sat at the dining room table for dinner that night. We could've sat at the counter if we wanted to since there were four chairs, but I insisted that we be formal to welcome Korea into our home, not mention thank him for the wonderful meal he provided. He made a cold noodle dish called "Naengmyeon" which was basically noodles served in a cold beef broth. It was topped with a heap of cucumber and carrot strings, other diced vegetables, and half of a hardboiled egg. As a side dish, Korea took some lettuce and topped it off with kimchi in a bowl. It looked amazing, to my surprise. As Korea brought the bowls out (turns out we didn't need plates), my mouth was absolutely _watering. _I thanked him profusely as he set the bowls in front of me and immediately I began to dig in.

We ate our dinner in silence. Korea was afraid to speak, America was looking guilty, Canada knew no one would understand anything he said anyway, and I was too busy thinking to talk. I was still mad about what America said…well, confused would be a better word. I wasn't hurt by what he said, but rather the discreet slip that he didn't like me. I thought we had come to terms about that! After all, he was the one crying in my arms about being chased by the FMBDS, whoever the heck they are. I was under the impression that he had at least _some _respect for me, but apparently that wasn't the case. Ugh, America was so confusing! What did he really think of me?

I absentmindedly pushed my kimchi around in my bowl. I had already finished my noodles and tried to make it look like I was too full to eat the kimchi salad. I stole a glance at Korea and quickly looked over to America and Canada. America sat staring off into space and Canada was playing with his kimchi with his hands. He had the spicy sauce all over his face and I could only hope that he wouldn't try to rub his eyes.

Korea noticed me glance at him and quickly took this as an opportunity to break the silence. He had finished his dinner long before everyone else and was waiting for something to be said; he wasn't as dense as everyone thought he was. "What did you think of the meal, Lily?" he asked suddenly. Everyone looked towards him and he blushed slightly.

"It was delicious. Thank you so much for making it." I smiled at him and hoped he was satisfied. I just needed some time to sort America out, that's all. I hope I wasn't passing off as rude, then America would think even less of me.

Korea smiled and got up and began clearing the plates. "No problem!" he said cheerily. "I'm glad you liked it, da-ze!" He went into the kitchen and began to wash the dishes while humming what I believed to be "Arirang" under his breath. I stood up too, already feeling tired and a bit grumpy. I still had yet to figure out the true meaning behind America's words. Did he really think of me like that or was he just teasing? I thought he liked me somewhat, or at least tolerated me. But America had every right to hate me for practically getting him killed. After all, I was my fault. So did he really hate me? Ugh, this was so confusing!

I shook my head out of frustration and started walking over to the stairs. As soon as I put my foot on the first step the phone rang, so I went back into the kitchen with a sigh. America had disappeared to some other part of the house and Chibi Canada had followed me and was now holding his arms up to me. I assumed he wanted to be held, so I picked him up and held him with one arm as I picked up the phone. "Hello?"

"_Hey Lily! What's up girl?"_

I sighed and held the phone to my ear with my shoulder as I rubbed my forehead. "What do you want, Lexi?"

"_You wound me so, dear friend." _I shivered. That sounded like something France would say. _"You should be happy that I called. I just got two tickets to the best show on Earth and you're coming with me!"_

Well, that certainly caught my attention. My eyes widened and I picked up the phone again, looking at my calendar. I frowned as I looked at Friday's date. I had finals then and I hadn't studied at all for them.

Whoops?

"Oh really?" I questioned with curiosity. "What is this oh-so-special show you speak of?"

Lexi giggled and I could practically hear the smile in her voice. _"I got us tickets to Chippendales in Vegas baby!"_

My mouth dropped open and Canada looked up at me with worry. He tugged on my hair and patted my face, trying to get my attention. _"Comment allez-vous, maman?" _Suddenly, he looked embarrassed and quickly asked, _"Puis-je vous appeler maman?" _

"Still don't understand you, little dude," I mumbled. I ignored him as he continued to tug my hair worriedly. "_The _Chippendales?" I asked Lexi. "Like, the really hot ones?"

"_The very same," _Lexi replied smugly. I shook my head in disbelief. This was impossible!

"How on Earth did you get tickets?" I demanded. "When is it?"

"_To answer your questions: I have my ways, and it's next week after midterms. Our flight leaves on Wednesday at eight in the morning."_

"Whoa, hold up. Who said I was actually going? I can't, you should know that. I have a boyfriend in case you forgot. And now that I think about it, you have one too! We can't just leave, that totally screams 'unfaithful'."

Lexi laughed. _"You do realize that married women go to Chippendales shows too, right? I already paid for the tickets and flight. You are _not _making me go by myself."_

"Well find someone else then!" I huffed. I really wanted to go, but I couldn't live with myself if I went and watched a bunch of shirtless guys dance around and act all sexy while I had a boyfriend. If Anthony found out he'd never forgive me!

"_I bought those tickets because they're playing the military show. And we both know about your weakness to men in uniform."_

I growled in frustration. She had a point; when I saw a man in uniform, let's just say it's like when a fangirl meets their favorite anime character. I was already swooning just thinking about it. I looked at Chibi Canada in my arms and over to Korea who by now had finished the dishes and was watching me intently. I was having an internal struggle; should I stay or should I go? It sounded really cliché, but that kind of thought actually happens! But I had my Units to take care of, who would watch them while I was gone? "I don't know," I told her uncertainly. "If I went, I'd have to leave my uh… cousins with someone."

"_You have cousins visiting? I'm sure Anthony wouldn't mind watching them."_

Huh, that was a good idea. "But then he'd wonder where we're going." I pointed out. Lexi was silent for a moment as she probably thought of some ridiculous lie.

"_Hm, we'll tell him we're visiting our friend from another college not too far away. It'll only be for a few days, and I'm sure you want a break from your cousins."_

"That's not true!" I said hastily. Why would I want to be away from them? I had to protect all of them, it was my promise. And I had no idea when my next Unit would arrive now. I could only hope whoever it was wouldn't come while I was gone, if I went at all.

"_Oh come on. Aren't you getting tired of them? You could really use some time to yourself, I'm sure."_

I hesitated before responding. I was getting kind of restless with them around. Maybe a few days away from them would do me some good. Then when I came back it would feel fresher. Yeah, I guess I will go! I smiled and picked up a pen to start writing on my calendar. "I suppose," I agreed. "Alright, I'll go. But don't you dare tell anyone about this, especially not Anthony. If he breaks up with me some time in the near future, it's your fault."

"_But what girl wouldn't want to hear the wonders of the Chippendale men? Oh fine. I won't tell."_

"Good. I have to call Anthony now. I'll see you tomorrow okay?"

"_Sure thing! Later bro!"_

I laughed and wrote "Vegas Flight: 8:00" under next Wednesday's date. "Bye," Instead of hanging up, I held down the receiver and once the dial tone came up, I dialed Anthony's number. I waited in silence for him to pick up and when he finally did, I dove right into the lie.

It took a lot of persuading, but finally Anthony agreed to watch my Units while I was gone to visit my "friend" from Shenandoah University in Virginia. He was skeptical and asked me for details, so I had to lie further and make up a random person and place. Well, Shenandoah was real, but I had no friends there. After a lengthy explanation, he finally caved and agreed to take care of my Units while I was gone. I have to admit, lying about going to see some shirtless hot guys was actually quite fun. I guess it was the thrill of getting caught, but either way, I decided that I should do it more often. I smiled to myself and went into the living room. America was there watching TV and Korea was on the couch snacking on some kimchi. I sat down on the only vacant recliner with Canada on my lap.

"Hey guys, I have something to announce."I said loudly. America looked at me curiously and Korea sat up from his slumped position. Canada looked up at me with big innocent eyes and my smile faltered. How could I leave him and my other Units behind? I didn't think I would be able to. No, it was already decided. I was going to leave them with Anthony and that was it. "I'm going on vacation!" I exclaimed, my smile returning.

What I got was mixed emotions.

America looked bewildered beyond belief, Korea just looked plain confused, and Canada started crying because apparently he could understand that but nothing else I've ever said to him. I immediately began to rock back and forth to try to calm him down, but the thought that I was going away made him cry so hard he could barely breathe. Korea put his kimchi down and looked at me curiously, probably wondering if he had something to do with my sudden desire to leave. America, well, I couldn't really tell what America was thinking anymore because his face was as hard as stone. He looked at me coldly and I blanched. What was he thinking now?

I laughed nervously and lifted Canada's head so I could see his tear-streaked face. "Oh hush now, Canada." Wow, I sound _old. _"I'll only be gone for a few days next week." I looked to my other two Units and explained. "You'll be staying with my boyfriend Anthony for a few days until I come back. I really hope you don't mind. The trip was last minute and I just learned about it tonight."

"I don't like your boyfriend." America said stiffly. I sighed and looked at the clock as I yawned. It read 10:24, no wonder I was tired.

"Did I do something wrong, da-ze?" Korea asked worriedly. I shook my head and motioned for everyone to follow me upstairs.

"Don't worry, Korea. You didn't do anything." I entered my bedroom and set Canada down. He had stopped crying and was now asleep, so I figured we should all go to bed. And since I had midterms on Friday, Saturday and on Monday and Tuesday of next week, I really needed my rest. "Come on guys, I think we should go to bed now. It's already really late and I have a big test to study for tomorrow. Here, Korea, I'll show you to your room. I hope you don't mind blue walls."

"That's fine, da-ze." I led him into a small room right next to mine that was my older brother's room when he was younger. Next to that at the very end of the hall was my old room where I figured America would sleep. It had green walls, so hopefully he wouldn't complain.

Korea went into his bedroom and said goodnight before closing the door. I showed America my old room and told him he could sleep there, but he insisted on sleeping in my bed because he was still paranoid the FMBDS would get him if he was alone. I reluctantly let him sleep in my bed again, but it wasn't that bad because the bed was big enough for about four people. I already tucked Canada in and went into the bathroom to brush my teeth and get ready for bed. America didn't have any pajamas, nor did Korea now that I think about it, so he just took off his coat and slept in his shirt and pants. I dressed quickly and brushed my hair. I was really tired and now all I could think of was sleep.

I crawled into bed a few minutes later and snuggled up close to Chibi Canada. America was already fast asleep, I could tell by his soft snoring. I smiled lightly and closed my eyes, reflecting on what happened today. America almost drowned, Korea came, and now I was going to leave in about a week for Vegas. It all happened so fast, I wasn't even sure if it happened at all. But at the end of the day it did, and I was too far into it to back out now. I sighed and rolled onto my back so I could stare at the ceiling.

What did I just get myself into?

* * *

**AN: When I'm older I am sooooo going to a Chippendales show lol! Enter standard review whoring here. PLEASE GO TO MY PROFILE TO VOTE FOR THE NEXT UNIT. I already think I know who the winner is going to be. Thanks for reading!**

**Mei-Ling out. Peace! :3**


	5. Chapter 5: Into the Woods America Goes

**AN: Wow, that last chapter was...disappointing. Now I know to never update at three o'clock in the afternoon on a Tuesday ever again. Talk about no reviews!**

**Anyway, enjoy this chapter bros!**

* * *

The next day I spent all of my free time studying for my midterm on Friday, and by free time I mean any minute I have to myself when I don't have to deal with a hyper-active Korea, a foul-mouthed America, and a crying Chibi Canada. You'd think my approaching departure would make them all depressed and moody, but apparently it only served to fuel their usual behaviors. Canada's constantly crying and begging me not to leave, at least, I_ think_ that's what he's screaming at the top of his lungs, America's as foul-mouthed and moody as ever, and Korea WILL NOT STAY STILL. I don't know where he gets his energy from, but either way, it's an endless stream of blah, blah, blah…

"Hey, Lily, do you think I can cook dinner again tonight?" Korea asked as he bounded over to my spot at the kitchen counter. I sighed and scratched my head, then put my pen down on my notebook. My Chemistry midterm was tomorrow and if I didn't look over my notes now, I was screwed.

"Korea, we've been over this a hundred times. We're getting pizza tonight."

"But pizza is fatty and greasy, da-ze!" he whined. He tugged on my shirt sleeve and I brushed him off as I picked up my pen again and began to read over my notes in my head. Korea pouted but finally decided to leave me alone, settling to keep Chibi Canada occupied instead.

Just as I had finally gotten a few moments of uninterrupted study time, America stormed into the room cradling his left hand in his right.

"Hey," he said harshly. I looked up from my notebook with a sigh.

"Any particular reason you're bothering me yet again?"

"Tell your stupid kid to keep his mouth closed. Little fucker just bit my finger!" He shoved his hand into my face and, truth be told, there were little bite marks and his finger was red.

"Watch your language," I snapped. "And stop waving your hand in front of Canada's face. Maybe then he wouldn't be tempted to amputate your fingers."

America gaped at me and his face flushed red with anger. "You're sticking up for that little puke?!" He pointed to Canada who was playing peek-a-boo with Korea on the floor in front of the TV in the living room. "What the hell, man?"

I sighed and rubbed my forehead. "America, go do something with your time. I don't care what it is, as long as you're nowhere near the kitchen."

America glared and me and crossed his arms. "What, is my company suddenly not welcome here anymore?"

"No, I just need some time alone so I can study for my midterm tomorrow. Please, _please_ go do something else."

"Fine!" he yelled. "I'll go do something else. You're not cool enough for my presence anyway!" He stormed down the hall and up the stairs, his footsteps echoing off the walls.

"Now I know why England is always grumpy," I muttered.

"I heard that, asshole!"

I sighed.

* * *

I'm pretty sure I failed my midterm.

Okay, I spent ALL NIGHT studying for that stupid test, and if Lexi hadn't shaken my shoulders the minute I started to doze off, I would've slept through the whole thing and my test would've been soggy with drool. It took me three hours to finish the whole thing, only to find out that I was the last one left in the classroom. Rule has it we can leave as soon as we finish a midterm, final, or any other important test unless our professor says otherwise, and apparently I had been so focused (read: trying not to fall asleep) that I didn't notice everyone else leave. Only when I finally answered the last question and lifted my eyes from the paper did I realize that I was the only person in the lecture hall besides my professor. But I was too tired to care.

Dragging myself up from my seat, I walked slowly down the stairs and slapped the packet down on my professor's desk. He looked up from grading someone else's midterm and gazed at me from behind his thick spectacles. He nodded in thanks and turned back to the paper in his hands. He basically just told me to get out, and I happily obliged.

As soon as I stepped out of the room and the door closed behind me, Lexi jumped right in front of my face. I yelped and staggered back into the door, my hand flying up to my chest to cover my heart that felt like it was about to explode.

"What the _heck_, Lexi?" I said breathlessly. She frowned and slipped an arm around my shoulders as she led me down the hallway.

"You need to start swearing." she said seriously. "I don't like the whole 'stay innocent' thing. It doesn't suit you."

"Gee, thanks." I said sarcastically and with a smirk. "But I'd rather not be corrupted anymore than you've already made me. Chippendales is enough."

Lexi smiled cheekily. "Speaking of Chippendales, are you packed and ready to fly out yet?"

"Lex, I still have a little less than a week to get ready."

"Five days," she corrected.

"Fine, five days. And I'm more worried about catching up on my sleep than getting packed. I still have midterms tomorrow, Monday, and Tuesday. I have a lot of studying to do."

Lexi's eyes suddenly brightened as if she got an idea and I paled. Lexi never has good ideas.

"I know, I can help you study!"

I looked at her blankly. "No."

"Aw please? Then I get to meet your cousins!"

"No."

"Why not?"

I sighed. "You want to stay as far away from them as possible. They'll annoy you like there's no tomorrow."

"Oh, come on, they can't be that bad."

I proceeded to tell her everything bad that's happened so far, excluding the fact that my "cousins" are actually Units and that America almost drowned, of course.

Lexi gave me a lopsided grin and rolled her eyes. "You're just exaggerating to the extreme. They can't be _that_ bad." she repeated.

About twenty minutes later, we were standing in my living room, surrounded by destruction.

A plush cat hit Lexi in the face and she turned to me with her eyebrows raised. "Wow," she said in agreement. "It really is that bad."

I gave her a look that said "I told you so." "Yeah, they are,"

"Hey!" America yelled. "You don't hear me trash talking you to your boyfriend, do you?"

I held my head in my hands as I rubbed my forehead. I could feel the beginnings of a headache coming on. "No, you trash talk _him_ to _me_."

"Aw!" Lexi squealed. "Is someone jealous of their cousin?" She suddenly inhaled and a wicked grin spread across her face. "Are you in love with your cousin?"

America's face flushed the brightest shade of red I've ever seen. No doubt mine was the same way; my cheeks felt like they were on fire. "I-I..." he sputtered. "Yong-Soo! Come over here, there's something I want to show you!"

Lexi and I exchanged confused glances.

"In a minute, da-ze!" Korea called. In a few seconds, Korea came around the corner, his hair and hanbok ruffled and in disarray. "What did you want to show me?"

America pointed to Lexi with a grin on his face.

Korea's eyes traveled to where America was pointing and they widened so much I thought they would pop out of his head. Suddenly, he threw himself forward and his hands were squeezing Lexi's breasts tightly. "You're breasts belong to me, da-ze!"

Yup. Another normal day with the Units.

* * *

After the shock of having her breasts groped finally went away, Lexi and I went to her apartment. She was Dex's sister, hence the name we gave their apartment, The Lex and Dex Complex. Lexi thought it was awkward having to share an apartment with my boyfriend, but every time she complained I told her to blame her brother. He was the one who offered Anthony a place to stay, and it wasn't my fault we just so happened to be dating (and still are) when that happened.

Before we left, I made sure my Units wouldn't get into trouble. Since Korea was technically older than America or Canada, I put him in charge. America was not happy about this at all, but it even said in his manual that he would act like a typical teenager all the time, so I didn't pay him any heed. I gave Korea my cell phone number and soon Lexi and I were on our way. I have to admit, getting away from the Units and hanging out with my friends was proving to be a good way to relieve myself of stress. Ever since I got Chibi Canada I'd been stressed to the max and with the FMBDS (Seriously, nobody will tell me what it means! It's like Voldemort or something.) trying to track down America, it just increased my stress levels to over nine thousand. Okay, it wasn't _that _bad, but it was getting bad enough that just a few minutes to myself were the highlights of my day.

Anyway, back to Lexi's place. Said person pounded on the door and her eyebrows furrowed in anger. "Open up, asshole!" she shouted. "I can hear you playing video games in there!"

"Chill, little sis!" I heard Dex yell. In a few seconds, the door was opening and a tall, tan man with spiky black hair was in the doorway, his hand pushing against the frame so he was blocking our way. His eyes lit up when he saw me and he smiled wide, revealing his white and straight teeth. "Had I known Lily was coming, I would've opened the door five minutes ago." he joked. I rolled my eyes and he stepped aside to let us in.

"Damn ungrateful brother," Lexi mumbled. "Be glad I didn't break the door down,"

"I'm hurt, dear sister," Dex said dramatically as he put a hand over his heart and put on a kicked puppy look. "And why are you in such a hurry? Can't spend a minute of your life away from porn, can you?"

Lexi's mouth fell open and her eyes widened. Dex and I erupted into a fit of laughter as her face turned beet red and she stomped into the living room. "Anthony, your girlfriend is such a bitch!" she yelled.

I entered the living room and sat down on the couch next to Anthony. He had an Xbox controller in his hand and he was mashing buttons like a crazed man. "Lexi's just mad because it's true," I retorted playfully. Lexi huffed and fell back into a chair to the left, and Dex laughed and sat down next to me, putting an arm around my shoulders.

"You stole my seat," He pouted and leaned up against me, trying to crush me up against Anthony's side. Anthony caught on and leaned my way as well, smooshing me in between them. "Lily sandwich!" Dex exclaimed. We all laughed and eventually he stopped, opting to tease Anthony of his poor Call of Duty skills instead.

"Oh Dex," I said jokingly. "If I wasn't dating Anthony, you'd be my next choice."

Dex grinned. "I'll take you up on that offer when the opportunity arrives."

"Come on, Lily," Lexi said as she got up from her seat. "Let's go into my room. There's something I want to show you!"

I nodded and got up, and Dex immediately took my seat and picked up his controller again to play. I followed Lexi down a bare, narrow hallway and entered through a door to the right. Lexi immediately went over to a small desk on the wall to the left and I fell down onto her bed. I played with the thick blue comforter as she rummaged through a drawer and finally produced two shiny slips of paper with an "Aha!". She walked over and sat next to me on the bed, then waved one of the slips in my face.

"This, my friend," she said with a smile, "is your boarding pass to Vegas." I took the paper and looked at it amusingly.

"Wow," I said as I held it up to my face. "It's a piece of paper."

Lexi rolled her eyes. "This piece of paper is getting you to the show of a lifetime. Be glad I made you say yes,"

"I am glad, but I still don't like the idea of leaving my cousins behind."

"Oh relax! They'll be staying with Anthony and Dex, they'll be in good hands, well, for the most part." She smiled and got up, then paused in the doorway. "I have to go to the bathroom, be right back! If you're hungry, the kitchen's all yours,"

I nodded. "Will do," I folded the boarding pass in half and stuck it in my back pocket, then, seeing as I _was _getting hungry, got up and entered the hallway. As I got closer to the kitchen, I heard hushed whispers coming from the living room. If I strained to listen hard enough, I could hear Anthony and Dex's voices. I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion and leaned in closer, wondering what kind of secret they could possibly have.

"-don't know if I want to do it," Anthony mumbled quietly.

"What, watch Lily's cousins?" Dex asked. "You promised her, didn't you?"

"Yeah but, ever since they came Lily hasn't been the same and frankly, I don't really want to hang with her anymore,"

My eyes widened and I leaned forward. Anthony didn't want to be around me anymore? I could understand if he didn't like America, but why should that stop him from wanting to see me?

"So, what's that supposed to mean? Do you like, not like her anymore?" Dex questioned.

Anthony sighed. "I don't know. I still love her, but something's different. I just don't like being around her as much."

"I see," Dex said thoughtfully. "I think I know what's going on,"

"What?" Anthony inquired.

There was silence.

I leaned forward and strained my ears to listen. What I heard made my mouth drop open in horror and my eyes began to water.

"The flames of love are cooling off, my friend."

Anthony scoffed. "Don't be absurd. I just told you I still loved her,"

"That's what you think, but deep down, I think you need to move on, see other people."

"Okay, first of all, when did you become the relationships expert? And second, you're just saying that so you can get a chance with her, aren't you?"

There was silence but I just knew there was a smile on Dex's face. "Don't underestimate my knowledge," he said jokingly. "And Lily's like a sister to me, I was just joking earlier."

Anthony grunted and they both fell silent. I held my breath as tears fell down my cheeks, but they never said anything more. Feeling a sob rising in my throat, I quietly padded back down the hall to Lexi's room. I threw myself facedown onto her bed and choked back a sob. How could Anthony say that he didn't like being with me anymore? And how could Dex even suggest the possibility of seeing other girls? If Anthony had just told me he didn't like my Units, then I could've prevented this. I can't believe he would lie to me. Why didn't he say something sooner?

Just then, Lexi walked back into the room. "Woo!" she sighed. "That was longer than I expected. Hey, are you okay?" She sat down next to me and touched my shoulder gently. I rolled over slightly so I could see her face, and she gasped at the tears streaming down my cheeks. "What's wrong?" she asked concernedly. I shook my head and wiped my eyes, not trusting my voice.

After a minute of silence, I finally cleared my throat. "Ask Dex. I'm going home now." I croaked. I wiped my cheeks with my shirt sleeve and made sure the boarding pass was still in my pocket, then straightened my clothes and hair. I walked down the hall after giving Lexi an awkward hug and bolted for the door, not even registering the questioning glance Dex threw my way. I slammed the door behind me and rushed to my car. After I turned it on and buckled myself in, I quickly backed out of the driveway and sped home, listening to some loud music all the way to try to distract myself from the new tears that were falling.

* * *

When I got home, I was surprised to see that the house didn't look like a tornado had blown through it. Everything was neat and in place, courtesy of Korea I soon learned, and everyone was chilling in the play room playing some video games. As soon as I walked in, Chibi Canada rushed up to me and latched onto my leg. I smiled lightly and picked him up, cuddling him to my chest as I sat down next to Korea on the big leather couch up against the left wall.

"_Maman!" _Canada exclaimed. _"Tu m'as manqué!" _

"Translation?" I asked as he started playing with my hair.

"He said 'Mom, I missed you'." America said without looking away from the TV. My eyes widened and I looked down at Canada.

"Mom?" I repeated. "Huh, interesting."

"Are you okay?" Korea asked. "You look kind of sad, da-ze." I chuckled and absentmindedly scratched my cheek where I could still feel the dried tear tracks.

"What? I'm fine, just tired, that's all. It's been a long day."

"How was your boyfriend's place?" America sneered. I tensed up and Korea looked at me worriedly. Why did he have to mention that? I had spent a good ten minutes sitting in my car in the garage waiting for my face to stop looking so red, and now he had to go and bring my boyfriend up? Well, I really shouldn't blame him. He doesn't know what happened, after all.

"Nothing special," I tried to say casually, but it came out bitter instead. America glanced at me quickly, noticing the subtle tone change, and Korea observed me closely. Even Canada looked at me with wide, sparkling eyes. I smiled at him and he smiled back slightly, unconvinced that I was happy. He shouldn't even have to worry about this, he's just a kid! And a very perceptive one at that. I sighed and stretched across the couch, resting my feet on Korea's lap. As I yawned I saw a truck out of the corner of my eye coming down the driveway. America saw it too, for he immediately froze in place. After a few seconds, he shut off the Xbox and ran up to me, fear and panic clear in his eyes.

"I have to go," he said frantically. "Like, now."

"What's going on, da-ze?" Korea asked. I nodded in agreement and sat up and put Canada on my lap.

"The FMBDS," America breathed. "They're here,"

"What do they want?" I asked, some of America's fear rubbing off on me. Korea looked confused, well it was only natural that he would be; he wasn't here when they tried to drown America at the lake. Canada looked up with fear-filled eyes and clutched my shirt tightly, digging his face into the fabric.

"Me," America said like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "I have to go somewhere, anywhere. I need to hide."

"You can't just leave," I protested. "Don't you have a GPS chip in your skin anyway? They'll track you down…" I noted with annoyance that my eyes were beginning to water again. Dang it, I didn't have time to get emotional! I needed to protect America now, and they only way to do it was to get America somewhere safe.

The doorbell rang and all of our eyes widened in fear.

"Quick, I'll stall them for as long as I can," I said as I stood up with Chibi Canada in my arms. "Korea, you stay by me no matter what. America, there's a staircase leading to the basement just over there," I gestured to outside the playroom and just a little ways down the hall. The staircase to the basement was right below the staircase to the bedrooms upstairs, so he wouldn't be seen as he was escaping. "Go through the basement and out the back door. Stay close to the tree line and as soon as you get back into the leech field, go straight into the woods. The leech field is the open space with the white pipe coming out of the ground. It's right across from the outside door, you can't miss it." America nodded and we all walked (well, more like ran) into the hallway. America opened the cellar door and started walking down the stairs. He looked back at me with frightened tears in his eyes and I gave him a reassuring smile. "Once you get into the woods, keep going straight. Whatever you do, _don't look back._" I told him. He gulped but nodded nonetheless. "If you keep going straight for about ten minutes, you'll come to a small clearing. That used to be a camping ground I used as a kid. A little ways beyond that is the property line that leads into the backyard of the people on the street off of mine. If you have to, go past the rope and hide in the barn behind the house. And if it gets really bad, steal one of the horses and ride over to the lake and hide in the admissions office." America nodded and I gave him my cell phone. "I'll call you as soon as I get rid of them, but I want you to call me after a little while so I know that you're safe."

America nodded again and began to run down the stairs as the doorbell rang again and a fierce pounding sounded on the door. At the bottom of the stair case, he turned around to look at me. "Thank you," he whispered before taking off into the night. I nodded after he ran away and clenched my teeth. After closing and locking the door, I turned to Korea.

"Go into the living room and watch TV. Act casual. If those guys ask you any questions, you have no idea where America is, understand?" He nodded quickly and went into the living room. Holding Chibi Canada with one arm, I took a deep breath and walked up to the front door.

As soon as I opened it, a man dressed in a dark black suit stepped in and brought out a badge. Behind him was a group of about six people all similarly dressed. The man looked around briefly, staring at Canada from behind black sunglasses and leaning forward to see past me and into the living room, then cracked his knuckles and turned back to me.

"Where is the War for Independence America Unit?" he questioned. His hard, deep masculine voice sent shivers down my spine. I stood up straighter and stiffened, determined not to let this man intimidate me.

"He's not here," I said simply. The man scowled and motioned for his men to come in. All at once, they barged into the house and began searching. I glared at the man beside me and was about to protest when Korea's cries reached my ears.

"Hey! Put me down, da-ze!" He appeared a few seconds later being held under the armpits by two of the suited men. He struggled and kicked his legs out, and they ignored him and set him down next to me. Korea glared at them and held on to my free arm tightly, his small form trembling.

"You have no right to barge into my house and search for someone that isn't here," I said hotly. "Who are you anyway?"

"We are members of the FMBDS," he replied gruffly.

"And what is that supposed to stand for?" My foot tapped against the tile floor impatiently.

"The Flying Mint Bunny Deactivation Squad. We are here to remove the War for Independence America Unit."

"Yeah, well, I changed my mind. I want to keep him."

"All Units are deemed defective once the owner calls Customer Service saying they don't want them anymore, regardless if you have changed your mind or not. If a Unit is defective, it means it did not meet the standard required and therefore is seen as imperfect and unworthy of living. Now, please give us the Unit so we can dispose of it properly."

I scoffed. "You mean kill?"

The man sighed. "We take Units seriously at Flying Mint Bunny Inc. We ensure 100 percent satisfaction to our customers and if a Unit is defective, we must terminate it immediately. We already tried once, and we won't fail again."

"You people disgust me." I spat. "Get out of here right now, America's not here! He ran away yesterday. I haven't seen him since."

The man reached into his coat pocket and took out what looked to be a tracking device. He pressed a few buttons and suddenly, a pinpoint appeared onscreen and it was moving in the direction of neighbor's barn across my property line.

"As you can see," he said smugly. "We can track every move this Unit makes. Men!" All of the men he came with came running around the corner. "Search the woods behind the house. I've found him." He smirked at me and followed his men outside. They piled in their truck and backed out of my driveway, then sped down the street. I slammed the door behind them after screaming "And don't you _dare _come back!" and sat down on the stairs, breathing heavily. Korea sat down next to me and took Chibi Canada from my arms.

"Do you think America is okay?" he asked. I looked down at me feet and sighed, feeling my whole body shake with fear.

"I don't know. But I told him I would call when I managed to get them out of the house, so why don't we do that right now?"

Korea nodded in agreement and we got up to go to the kitchen. I picked up the phone on the wall and twirled the cord around my pointer finger nervously as I dialed my cell phone's number. I held my breath as I waited for America to pick up, and when he finally did, I sighed in relief.

"America? Are you okay?" I asked, my voice panicked. It surprised me actually; I had been so calm when I explained to America his escape route, and now I was freaked out. Well, it was probably because those men had found out where he was going and were now chasing him. Yeah, that was probably it. "The FMBDS is coming after you. I managed to get them away from the house, but because the leader dude or whatever took out some GPS tracking thing, they're heading into the woods and looking for you as we speak."

"_Lovely," _he said sarcastically. _"I'm in the barn right now. I'll try to lay low and hide in the hay for now, but if they come to close I'll-" _The sound of doors being kicked open came through the phone followed by yelling. America fell silent and I resisted the urge to ask what was going on. If America wanted to get out of there, he needed absolute silence, and if I messed it up by speaking, then it could be the difference between life and death. I put a finger over my lips and Korea nodded. Canada put a finger over his lips and laughed quietly. I forced a smile and ruffled his hair. It was best if he didn't know how serious the situation actually was, otherwise he'd probably start crying and then America's cover would be blown.

There was a bit more yelling and suddenly, a gunshot sounded. I froze as I heard America grunt in pain and then the line went dead.

"What happened, da-ze?" Korea asked. How he could still have that verbal tick in a situation like this was beyond me. I brought the phone down slowly from my ear and before I knew it, tears were streaming down my cheeks. I slammed the phone on the receiver and crumpled to the floor. Hugging my knees to my chest, I sobbed and buried my face behind my legs.

America had been shot. He was shot by the FMBDS and now he was dead.

Korea slid to the floor after a few moments of thinking and hugged me then Canada came over, held my hand, and buried his face into my arm. Pretty soon all of us were crying, but we all stopped abruptly when the house phone shrilled loudly.

My heart seemed to stop. Suddenly, everything around me was quiet, and the only thing making noise was the phone. I stood up slowly and checked the caller ID.

It was my cell phone.

I practically ripped the phone off the receiver. "America?" I yelled. "America, are you okay?"

There was silence, followed by heavy breathing. Suddenly, a deep laughter almost like a growl came from the other line. _"The little prick got away,"_ the person hissed.

My eyes widened. It was the man who had first come into the house. "What the heck did you do to America?" I demanded. "Answer me you…you jerk!"

The man chuckled coldly. _"Listen, I don't know where you told him to go, but know this: I will find him. I will find him and I will kill him. You won't even notice when he's gone. He's just another defective Unit, same as all the other ones."_

"You lie," I shot back. "There is nothing wrong with America. And you'll never find him, not if I can help it."

"_We'll see,"_

The man hung up and I slammed the phone on the receiver angrily. He didn't know anything about America. He wasn't defective, none of the so called "defective Units" were. Obviously Flying Mint Bunny Inc. had an obsession with striving for perfection.

My mouth set in a grim line, I walked briskly over to the front door and put on my shoes. Korea followed me curiously with Canada in his arms and watched me as I pulled on my jacket.

"Where are you going, da-ze?" he asked. I smiled reassuringly at them both and grabbed my car keys.

"You guys coming or what? America needs our help."

Korea smiled and nodded his head. Chibi Canada clapped his hands together and let out a small giggle and I smiled. We headed out to the garage and into the car, and when we were all buckled and ready to go, I floored the gas and sped down the road to the beach.

It was time to find America.

* * *

**AN: Yay for life threatening situations! Review please? I was really disappointed that I didn't get a single review the last time I updated, but that's probably my fault anyway. Updating times are crucial. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it! Next chapter will introduce the newest member of the family. If you haven't voted yet, go to my profile and take the poll!**

**Mei-Ling out. Peace! :3 **


	6. Chapter 6: Vegas Here I Come!

**AN: I'm back! Sorry for the delay, my family and I drove down to North Carolina all the way from New Hampshire to drop my brother off at college since it was move-in day. I was in the car for SEVEN HOURS for two days going down, and then going up as well. Not to mention we had a couple of one hour traffic delays...but enough about my problems. While I was down there, I wrote the majority of this chapter on my Kindle via email. Once I got home, I sent it to myself and finished it. Can you believe it? 7,257 words. *In a British accent* IT'S A NEW WORLD RECORD! You guys better enjoy this, otherwise I'm going to be pissed. Okay, not pissed, but annoyed and sad...**

**Also, everytime I've put a poll up for Units, Spain has always been beaten by one vote. I feel bad for the people who want Spain but they never get him. Hehe, maybe in the next poll he'll be the winner. I don't know how many Units I'm going to bring in, because I plan on making a sequel (I'll put a poll up for that as well when the time comes). But for right now, it's Chibi Canada, America, Korea, and the newest member of the family. **

**Anyway, longest Author's Note ever! I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

The car was silent as we drove down to the town beach. Korea sat next to me sullenly looking out the window and I kept my eyes on the road. Even Canada was being unusually quiet. Nobody spoke, because we were all thinking the same thing.

America was in trouble and we needed to find him now.

Had he been a normal America Unit, I probably would've just waved it off like nothing happened. After all, America was America, and the only reason he got into bad situations was because he was stupid enough to fall for something in the first place. But this was not a normal America Unit. My America Unit was annoying, loud-mouthed, angsty, and just downright a pain in my butt, but for some reason, I loved him anyway.

Which is probably why I'm freaking out so much right now, but silently trying to hide it.

Korea looked at me hesitantly from the corner of his eyes. "Uh, Lily?" he asked timidly. I stole a glance at him briefly and then permanently fixed my eyes to the road.

"What's wrong, Korea?"

"Oh, nothing!" he said hastily. "I was just wondering, are you sure America is at the beach?"

I smiled. "Trust me. If America had any sense whatsoever, he'd take my advice and hide out at the office there. I told him to take the neighbor's horse and ride over there if he got into trouble, didn't I?"

Korea nodded, but he didn't look convinced. "I guess." He sighed and held his chin in his hand while his elbow rested on the window sill. "I hope he's okay, da-ze,"

I frowned. "He'll be fine," I reassured him, but I wasn't even sure myself. "He's got us for a family, remember? Family looks out for each other, and if he's hurt, we'll just make him better again. You'll see. Everything will be fine."

Korea fell silent and I could just picture the worried wrinkles on my forehead. Everything will be fine, I told myself. Everything was fine after the first beach incident, so everything would be fine now.

We pulled up in the beach parking lot a few minutes later and I saw a dark brown horse tethered to the fence that separated the parking lot and the sand. I recognized it immediately as my neighbor's horse, so America must've been close by. I pointed this out to Korea and he brightened up considerably. Chibi Canada seemed to get the same vibe and he started smiling and talking some more, though neither of us knew what he was saying. Right next to us was a small brick building that served as the admissions office to the beach. You came here to get a seasonal pass, and every time you came you had to show the pass to the person in the window. It was night time, nobody was even at the beach except for us, so the building would be empty of employees.

I walked up to the door and knocked on it quietly. "America? Are you in there?" There was silence. I tried to turn the handle, but something was wedged under it so it couldn't be turned. "America, it's me, Lily. I'm here to take you home."

There was the sound of shifting coming from the other side. Something was dragged across the floor and then suddenly, the door opened just a crack and one of America's blue eyes was peering out nervously.

"Lily?" he whispered. It broke my heart to see him so scared, but then I felt relieved to know that he was okay. I smiled and nodded by head, but as soon as I lifted my hand to push the door open, America shut the door quickly and blocked it from the inside again, effectively rendering me unable to get in.

"America!" I yelled as I pounded on the door. "Open this door right now! I'm trying to help you! I won't hurt you, I promise!"

"Go away!" America's muffled voice shouted. "This is all your fault! Just leave me alone!"

My eyes widened and I took a step back, my hand falling lamely at my side. I could understand why America would say something like that, but it still hurt me greatly. America was shaken and obviously not in any state to trust anyone at the moment. He had just been hunted down by a group of crazy guys trying to kill him, shot at, and either he was injured or just really disturbed. Either way, he needed help, and he wouldn't get it if he kept pushing me away.

_But he was right, _I told myself. _This was my fault. If I hadn't called Customer Services, this whole thing would have never happened. No wonder America hates me. I almost got him killed twice now!_

But my guilt would not hold me back. I had made a promise, and by God I was going to keep it. I set my quivering lips into a thin, determined line and rattled the door handle violently. "America," I commanded. "Open this door right now or so help me God I'll bust it down and come in there myself."

"Go away!" he repeated. "And don't tell me what to do!"

I stopped for a second to think. He was the War for Independence Unit, so that meant he hated being told what to do, right? I smiled wickedly and put my hands on my hips. This was going to be fun.

"I'm older than you. I have more _power _than you. You will listen to me and do what I say, no questions asked."

I watched with amusement as the door flung open and an enraged America stepped out, his eyes ablaze with anger. He pointed a bloody finger in my face, his whole arm shaking, and stepped forward, trying to intimidate me.

"Who are you, _England?" _he spat. "Nobody tells me what to do. I am a free, independent country, dammit! I-" He stopped abruptly and looked at me suspiciously. My smirk had grown into a full blown smile that would make Russia proud. "You…you tricked me!" he exclaimed.

I laughed. "And you're surprisingly easy to trick," I grabbed his arm, noting how he flinched when I did, and led him back to my car. "I need to get you to a hospital _now. _You got shot, didn't you?"

America nodded grimly and got into the passenger seat. Korea put Chibi Canada in his car seat and buckled himself in afterwards. When he closed the door, I turned on the car and drove out of the parking lot, heading in the direction of the nearest hospital.

"That asshole shot me in the shoulder," America said as he gripped his left shoulder. Suddenly, he smiled. "But hey, at least he shattered the tracking chip! Now the FMBDS can't find me!"

"Really?" I asked. America nodded and his face contorted in pain as we went over a bump. I turned back to the road and sighed. We couldn't take America to a regular hospital, the doctors would ask questions. They couldn't find out he was a Unit, they couldn't even know that he existed! Who knows what kind of tests they would run on him!

"We could take him to a Unit hospital, da-ze," Korea said as if he read my mind. America twisted around and glared at him as if trying to say "shut up".

I glanced at Korea through the mirror. "What's a Unit hospital?"

"Exactly what the name implies," America said as he turned back around. "It's a hospital specifically for the care of Units. Even though we're technically humans, we can't go around letting everyone know that we're clones. Scientists everywhere would do anything to run tests."

"Which was my exact thinking," I commented. "I can't take you to a normal hospital. Doctors would ask questions and there's no way I could come up with some elaborate lie so easily."

"The nearest Unit hospital should be in the state's capital, da-ze. What state are we in?"

"New Hampshire,"

"Really?" America asked. "It looks like we're in Maine, or maybe Canada." Canada looked up as soon as his name was spoken. "What town do you live in?"

"Pittsburg,"

If America had water, I'm sure he would've spit it out in shock. "Pittsburg? You're that far up? No wonder the town is so damn small!"

"Concord is 150 miles away. Even if I took I-93 Southbound, it would take three hours to get there. I don't think you want a bullet in your arm for three hours." I pulled over to the side of the road and reached across America's lap to get to the glove compartment. I pulled out a thick book and unfolded it to its full length. It was actually a map of New Hampshire, and as Korea and America leaned over to look at it curiously, I explained to them what our options were. "There are three hospitals nearby." I said as I pointed to Pittsburg. My finger travelled down to Stewartstown. "There's the Coös County Nursing Hospital, but like I said, we can't let doctors know who you really are,"

"I think the correct term is 'what'," America stated. I rolled my eyes and pointed to Colebrook next.

"There are two hospitals here, and both of them are a little further away, but only by at least three miles. All three of these hospitals only take ten to fifteen minutes to get to, and Concord is three hours." I shut the book and turned to look at America and Korea. "Well, what should we do?"

America shrugged, but it only made him wince in pain. He squeezed his shoulder tightly and I could see the blood steadily oozing out of it in the rapidly fading sunlight. Korea pondered the choices for a minute and looked at America with concern. Even if we had to go to a regular hospital, it wouldn't really matter because America needed help right away. America and Korea exchanged looks and nodded. I looked at them confused. What were they thinking? Did they figure out what to do?

"I say we go to Concord," Korea said. "At least the people there will know what's going on and how America got his injuries."

America nodded in agreement. "I say we go to Concord, too. It's best we not risk it at some other place."

"You guys are crazy!" I exclaimed. "Do you know how long you're going to sit there and suffer? No," I shook my head and pulled back out onto the road and started driving south to Stewartstown. "There's no way I'm letting you suffer that long. We're going to Coös County Nursing Hospital."

"Lily…" America put a hand on the steering wheel, causing me to slam on the breaks. We lurched forward and Chibi Canada gave a shriek of surprise. I looked at America, ready to yell at him, but the pleading look in his eyes made the words die on my lips. "Please. Let's just go to Concord. The people there will understand."

I hesitated for a moment but then finally sighed and continued driving. I should trust America; he's the Unit after all, and if going down to Concord made him comfortable, than why should I force him somewhere he's not going to like being at?

"Alright, we'll go to Concord. But," I said sternly, looking at him from the corners of my eyes. "I better not hear you complaining the whole ride there. You're the one who wanted to go, so it's your fault if you have to suffer that long."

America just smiled and rolled his eyes. "Whatever, I'm getting tired anyway. I think I'll take a nap."

I reached over and slapped him across the face.

His eyes widened and his head whipped to the side. He looked at me fearfully but then glared and tried to punch me in the face. "What the_ fuck_ was that for?" he yelled. I swerved as he stuck his arms in my face. The car crossed over into the other lane and I was stupid enough to say "Haha, we're in Britain!" which landed me a punch to the jaw. I drove the car into the right lane and tried to keep it straight, but because America just _had_ to cause me physical harm, the car was being thrown in every direction. Thank God it was late and nobody was on the road.

America succeeded in his attempts to punch me in the face and a warm, sticky liquid started running out of my nose. I wiped the area with the back of my hand and growled when I saw that it was blood. "Now look what you did!" I yelled. America glared and crossed his arms stubbornly.

"You're the one who slapped my face for no reason. You deserved it!"

"I was trying to keep you awake, idiot! You could die of blood loss if you fall asleep bleeding!"

America fell silent. Korea shifted in his seat awkwardly and Canada started to cry because he had woken up from at some point falling asleep. America looked down at his lap in shame. "Oh, I...I didn't know..."

I sighed. "It's not your fault. It_ was_ uncalled for." I leaned over to the glove compartment again and took out a few napkins. "Here," I said as I handed them to America. "Keep them pressed firmly against the wound. It'll help stop the blood flow."

"What about your nose? There are no napkins left."

I smiled sadly and looked at America's shoulder. "You need them more than I do,"

America didn't respond, he simply pressed the napkins to his shoulder and looked at me intently. I kept my eyes on the road, aware of his gaze, and the rest of the ride was spent in silence as we drove into the early hours of the morning into Concord.

* * *

When we finally reached Concord, it was about two o'clock in the morning. America had eventually fallen asleep but I had some comfort knowing his wound had stopped bleeding. Korea was asleep with his head resting against Canada's car seat, and Canada was asleep as well. It was such a cute picture and I hated to wake them up, but I needed to know where I was supposed to go if America was going to get any treatment.

I parked the car at a nearby gas station and turned it off. Turning around in my seat, I grabbed Korea's shoulder and shook him slightly. "Korea," I whispered. "Korea, we're here."

"Mmm?"

"Korea," I repeated as I shook him a little harder. "Come on, wake up. I need you to find the Unit Hospital."

Korea let out a large yawn and he rubbed his eyes, his arms moving stiffly. He blinked a few times and looked at me tiredly. I really hated to wake him up, but Canada probably didn't know where the hospital was, America really needed the rest, and Korea was the one who mentioned Unit hospitals in the first place. If anyone knew where it was, it was him.

"What?" he whispered. I turned on a light overhead and he immediately shut his eyes.

"Sorry," I handed him the map of New Hampshire. "I need you to tell me where the hospital is."

"Just go to Concord Hospital..." he muttered as he closed his eyes and resumed his previous position.

"That's it?"

"There's a secret entrance in the back, da-ze. Once they see us they'll understand and let us in."

"Are you sure they're open at this hour? It's two o'clock in the morning."

"They're always open..."

"Thanks, Korea."

"Mmm, you're welcome, da-ze..."

I laughed quietly as his head lolled to the side and he fell asleep. I put the map back as carefully as possible and turned on the car. Once it was running, I pulled up next to a gas pump and got out to pump some gas into the tank. My car was nearing empty since when we left it hadn't been exactly full, and to make sure we had enough to get back home, I needed to fill up now. As the gas was pumping, I looked at America through the window. His cheek was resting against the window sill and his right hand was in his lap loosely clutching a wad of bloody napkins. His left arm was hanging down between the seat and cup holders, the fabric of his coat near his shoulder torn and bloody. I shuddered and my stomach twisted at how pale he looked. He needed help and he needed it fast. He could _not_ die on me right now!

As soon as the gas finished pumping and I paid with my debit card, I got in the car and began to drive towards Concord Hospital. It wasn't that far from where we stopped and considering there were signs everywhere pointing to its direction, it was relatively easy to find. I pulled into the parking lot and drove around to the back. A sign that read "Special Units Center" in big red letters gave off a small amount of light. It was just enough to illuminate the walkway without attracting attention to itself, and beyond the glass doors I could see a woman sitting behind a desk. I quickly unbuckled myself and leaned over to wake up America.

"America," I whispered. I shook his shoulder, careful not to touch his wound, and ruffled his hair a bit. His hair was actually very silky, and I sat for a moment just feeling it with my fingers before I realized I was wasting time. "America, we're here."

There was no response.

"America," I said a little louder. "Wake up, we're at the hospital."

America was stone still and didn't make a sound.

I leaned over some more to get a good look at his face. He was extremely pale, but his face looked peaceful. I couldn't see his chest rising or falling and suddenly, I began to panic. I gripped his good shoulder and shook him violently, not caring if I was hurting him. "America!" I said loudly. Behind me, Korea stirred. "America, wake up!"

"Mmm, what's going on, da-ze?"

"America's not waking up!" I cried, turning to him with tears in my eyes. I look of shock passed over his face but he quickly calmed himself. I stared at him in disbelief. How could he be so calm when America was _dead?_

Korea noticed my fear and put a hand on my shoulder. "Calm down," he said. "He's not dead. He's America, he wouldn't die without a fight."

I sniffed and glanced at America again. Now that I looked closer, I could see his chest rising slightly. As if to prove a point, his eyes suddenly fluttered open and he looked at me confusedly.

"Lily?" he asked, his voice hoarse.

I couldn't contain the overwhelming relief that washed over me at that moment. I grabbed him into a tight hug and sobbed into his good shoulder. He didn't hug me back, probably because he was still tired and shocked, but I didn't care. All that mattered was that he was alive.

"Oh thank God!" I exclaimed between sobs. "You...you idiot! You had me worried sick! I thought you died!"

"What?" America asked. "Dude, I'm fine. Where are we?"

I pulled away, an embarrassed red tinge on my cheeks. "We're at the hospital. Come on, let's go in."

"What time is it?"

I hesitated. "...Early."

America shrugged and opened the car door and staggered out. I quickly got out and unbuckled Chibi Canada, and then Korea got out and led us to the front door. We entered rather calmly, much to my protest that America needed help _now_, and approached the woman behind the counter. She looked up when she heard our footsteps and smiled, seemingly unaware of the blood covering America's entire left arm and my hands.

"Welcome to the Special Units Center. How may I help you?" she greeted in an annoying, high pitched voice. I rolled my eyes and pushed America forward.

"You guys treat Hetalia Units, right?" I asked.

The lady nodded. "Yes we do! Do you have a problem with one of your Units?"

Was this woman blind? How could she not see how bad America's situation was? I wanted to scream in her face that yes, there was a serious problem, but I'd probably get thrown out and not let back in. I took a deep breath and counted to five, trying to calm myself.

"Yes. My America Unit got shot."

"Oh you poor thing!" she said sympathetically. To me, it sounded forced and fake. Almost mocking. "I'll call Dr. Zimmerman right now. Please take a seat over there." She gestured to a row of comfy looking chairs against the wall.

I almost exploded. "My Unit has been _shot._ This is an _emergency!_ Can't he go to the ER like, right now?"

The lady shook her head, her smile never faltering. "Please wait, ma'am. The doctor will be with you shortly." She picked up her clipboard and, with a wide, unnatural grin, walked down the hallway and out of sight.

I stomped over to the chairs and sat down with a huff. "What a..." I started, but trailed off for lack of a bad enough term without resorting to swears.

"Bitch?" America offered. I nodded and looked down the hallway, fuming.

"Yeah, that."

America laughed and sat down next to me. He leaned back in his chair, wincing as he accidentally bumped his shoulder into the armrest, and turned to me as if to say something. Before he could even open his mouth, however, that annoying receptionist's heels came clacking down the hallway, followed by another set of heavy footsteps. A few moments passed and around the corner came the lady and an old man dressed in a white lab coat. His gray hair was slicked back and he had a pair of black glasses resting on his nose. On his chin was a somewhat thick gray and white beard. He reminded me of my eighth grade Spanish teacher, and I resisted the urge to laugh.

The man came over to me and I stood up and shook his hand firmly. His hands were rough, but his smile was gentle and warm. He turned and eyed America, obviously looking at his shoulder, when suddenly his face darkened.

"A War for Independence America Unit, huh?" he said quietly.

"Uh, yeah," I replied. "Something wrong?"

The doctor shook his head. "It's just, I've been getting a lot of news from other developers saying that many War for Independence America Units are being sent back to Head Quarters for deactivation."

"...Developers?"

The doctor's eyes widened. "Oh! Please forgive me for not properly introducing myself. My name is Mark Zimmerman. I am a doctor here at the Special Units Center and I am one of the leading scientists that created Hetalia Units."

Huh. So this was one of the men who created the handful that was Hetalia Units. I expected women to be the ones who thought of the idea in the first place, since Hetalia had a more feminine audience, so it was a bit shocking to know that a group of men made them. As I looked at Dr. Zimmerman, it suddenly clicked. Of course women didn't make the Units because they would never create the FMBDS and screw everything up.

Men never seemed to get anything right.

"So," the doctor said awkwardly. He motioned for America to get up. "If you'll just follow me to the operation room, I can take that bullet out in no time."

America nodded and followed the doctor down a hallway. He looked back once and smiled and waved, then he turned around a corner and was gone.

I turned back to the receptionist. "How long is the operation going to take?" She shrugged.

"Depends on how deep the bullet went in." She smiled when she saw my panicked face. "Relax, he'll be fine. Dr. Zimmerman has dealt with situations similar to this plenty of times."

"That's not a good thing,"

The receptionist sighed. "I know."

* * *

About an hour and a half later, America was lead back to the waiting room by Dr. Zimmerman. He held on to the doctor's arm and swayed back and forth on his feet, almost falling over a few times. When he walked into the waiting room and collapsed on the chair next to me, it was evident that he was absolutely smashed with drugs.

"Hey," he said, his words slurred. He lifted his good arm weakly and poked my cheek. "You're face looks funny..."

I looked at the doctor accusingly. "How much sedative did you give him?"

Dr. Zimmerman shuffled and looked at America with amusement clear on his face. "Just enough to keep him asleep while I removed the bullet. I also had to take out the shattered remains of the GPS chip in his skin; it was destroyed by the bullet and rendered useless."

"That's a relief," I breathed.

"How so?"

I wanted to smack myself. Even if this guy knew all about Units and Flying Mint Bunny Inc., I couldn't really trust him. But now I had gone and said too much. Oh well, it's not like I could keep it a secret forever.

"He's being tracked by the FMBDS because I called Customer Services the day I got him. Once I realized how they 'deactivate' Units, I decided to keep him, but they keep trying to kill him."

"Ah, I understand. Well, he should be safe for now. Make sure to change his bandages twice a day and apply this cream to the area." He handed me a tube of disinfectant cream as well as a package of bandages and smiled. "He should be healed in no time. But for right now, his mind's a little fuzzy from the drugs. Don't take anything he says seriously. He's not thinking straight."

As if to demonstrate, America looked deep in thought as poked his face. "Do I really exist?" he asked.

I stifled a laugh and helped him to his feet. "Come on, that's it. One step at a time. Korea, can you help America to the car while I talk with the doctor for a minute?" Korea nodded and took America by the arm and started for the door. I turned back to the doctor and held a sleeping Canada in my arms. "So, how much is this going to cost?" Might as well get right to the point.

Dr. Zimmerman smiled. "I'll mail you the bill. Your address please?" I gave him my address and he wrote it down on a pad of paper, then shook my hand. "It was a pleasure meeting one of Flying Mint Bunny Inc.'s customers, although I wish we could have met under different circumstances."

I chuckled. "Yeah, the last couple of days have been quite interesting. Thank you so much for treating him; I was worried sick." I shook the doctor's hand and was on my way out the door when he suddenly called me back. Curious, I turned around and wasn't surprised to see the serious expression on his face.

"Look," he said quietly when I was close enough to hear him. "The reason I disassociated myself with FMBI was because of the FMBDS. I have seen every single Unit returned get killed. Not one Unit has ever avoided deactivation if they are sent back. The FMBDS will be looking for America everywhere. They will find him, and they will kill him. They will not leave him alive."

A shiver went down my spine. I gulped and gave him a shaky smile. "Thank you for the warning," I said. Dr. Zimmerman nodded as I walked out of the hospital, a sad smile on his face.

As soon as I walked through the door, I ran for the car. America and Korea were already buckled in, so I quickly put Canada in his car seat and got into the driver's seat. I turned on the car and pulled out of the parking lot, then turned on the road leading to the highway. The journey home was going to be long, but now that I knew America was going to be okay, I could relax and my mind would be at peace.

About an hour into the drive, America looked at me with half lidded eyes. "Hey, Lily?" he slurred, still loopy from the sedatives. I suppressed a giggle and glanced at him briefly.

"What is it, America? Are you feeling okay?"

"M'fine," he muttered. He sat up straight in his seat and played with his bandages absentmindedly. "M'sorry."

I gave him a confused look. "What? Say that a little louder; I couldn't hear you."

"I'm sorry."

Oh...well, that was unexpected. "For what?" I asked, not sure where he was going with this.

"M'sorry I blamed you."

I gave him a small smile. "You don't have to apologize, you were just scared. It's only natural you'd say things like that."

"But I mean it! It was stupid o' me to...to blame my problem on you. You didn't know when you called Customer Services. S'not your fault,"

I don't know why, but tears were welling up in my eyes. I gave America a warm, sincere smile, and turned back to the road.

"Thank you, America."

Don't take anything he says seriously, huh? I know you're supposed to follow a doctor's advice, but this was one piece of advice I wasn't going to take.

* * *

A few days later, I stood with Lexi in the Berlin Regional Airport, getting ready to board our flight to Vegas. It all happened so fast; one minute I was rushing America to the hospital and now I was waiting to board a plane that would take me to see shirtless men dancing around on a stage. I had to admit, ever since America's "accident" (I called it that when I explained the bandages to Anthony), I was regretting going on this trip. But since Lexi was my best friend and had gotten these tickets with me in mind, how could I say no?

"Flight 235 to Las Vegas is now boarding," a lady over the intercom announced. Lexi and I picked up or carryon bags and moved forward in line. A man took and scanned our tickets, then ripped off one end and gave us the remains. We thanked him and walked down the tunnel, chatting about what we would do as soon as we got to Vegas, when the shouting of security guards made us stop.

Suddenly, I was tackle-hugged from behind. A pair of arms threw themselves around my waist and a smaller pair latched onto my leg. I stumbled forward a bit and dropped my bag to the floor. Just a few seconds later, another pair of arms was around my neck lightly. My eyes wide with shock, I turned around to face my attackers.

America was clutching my waist, Canada was clinging to my leg, and Korea was hanging onto my neck. They all smiled at me sheepishly and the security guards backed off a bit once they realized they weren't going to kill me. I chuckled and patted America's head, and America buried his face in my shirt and sighed.

"Please don't leave," he said quietly. Korea nodded in agreement and Canada just tightened his grip on my leg. I looked at them sadly and reached down to ruffle Canada's hair.

"I wish I didn't have to," I said somewhat truthfully. "But I can't back out of it now. Everything's been planned out. And besides!" I smiled and removed Korea's hands from my neck. "I'll be back before you know it!"

"Promise?" America asked. I smiled and hugged him tightly.

"Promise."

One of the security guards cleared their throat and motioned with his head for my Units to leave. America glared (We _were_ having a moment after all) and Korea tried to grope the one woman security guard. He failed epically and was thrown out of the tunnel but looked back to me and grinned widely. I laughed and pried Chibi Canada off of my leg, then handed him to America and pushed him away playfully. He smiled and stuck his tongue out at the officers, then walked over to Korea and they all waved.

I waved back with a smile but it slipped when I saw Anthony standing a few feet away from them. He had his hands in his pockets, a bored expression on his face. He sighed and looked at my Units with distaste, but quickly smiled lightly when he saw me looking at him. He stared at me like he was evaluating me or something. It wasn't the soft, loving gaze I was used to and frankly, it scared me. Did he really not love me anymore? How could he do this to me when I've been so faithful to him?

"Come on, we're holding up the line." Lexi said impatiently. Now that she mentioned it, I realized that we were standing in the middle of the boarding tunnel, and people had to walk around us just to get to the plane. I smiled sheepishly and apologized to the other passengers as I picked up my bag and Lexi and I continued our way down the tunnel. Before they were out of sight, I turned around and waved to my Units and blew a kiss to Anthony. He didn't react at first, but then he caught the kiss, put it in his pocket, and blew one back. I laughed and copied him, then boarded the plane with Lexi.

We took two seats in the back behind the wing of the plane, and I sat next to the window because I called it before she did. We put our bags in the overhead compartments, sat down, and after twenty minutes of waiting and going through the safety procedures, we were on our way to Vegas.

A little old lady sat next to us the whole ride and did nothing but knit. The clinking of the needles agitated Lexi to no end, so she ended up listening to her IPod until it died and then started to bother me, but I was already fast asleep. The repetitive clinking lulled me to sleep in a matter of minutes and I didn't wake up until Lexi shook me roughly to tell me we had landed. I yawned and looked tiredly out the window. It was about four in the afternoon, and the pilot announced that the temperature was 102 degrees. I sighed and got off the plane after taking my bag. I didn't do well in high temperatures, but thankfully we'd only be down for a few days. Then it was back up into breezy, rainy, and cold New Hampshire, and back to my Units who I already missed.

As soon as we got off the plane, Lexi grabbed my hand and we ran to pick up our suitcases. Then we caught a shuttle to the rental car area where we got our small car to get around the city. After that, we immediately drove over to our hotel and checked in, then hung around for a bit at the outdoor pool.

Lexi sat on the edge of the pool, kicking her feet around in the water. She turned to me and took off her sunglasses, squinting. "Where should we go for dinner?" she asked. I shrugged and looked at the time on my phone. It took us awhile to find the hotel and we got confused with the road system, so it was already 5:30 by the time we got there. I wasn't really hungry considering I had dinner at around 6:30-7 o'clock, and I didn't know any restaurants in the area, so I couldn't give Lexi an answer.

"I don't know," I said. "But I'm not really hungry anyway. Why don't we wait until seven?"

"But then everything will be crowded and it'll take forever to get dinner somewhere." she pointed out.

I bit my fingernails and looked at the ripples in the pool. "That's true...What time is the Chippendales show tomorrow?"

"Nine o'clock. It runs until midnight, I think."

I nodded. "Well," I started. "Why don't we ask the hotel people where good places are for dinner?"

Lexi smiled and stood up, jamming her flip flops on her feet. "Sure!" she said cheerfully. "Why didn't I think of that?"

We quickly went back to our room to change out of our bathing suits and then went down to the lobby. The lady at the check-in counter recognized us as the people who just checked in about a half an hour ago and smiled as we walked up to her. We asked her for any restaurants nearby, and she gave us the name of a really good Mexican food place. I thanked her since Lexi had already run off to the car, and we headed down the street, our mouths watering in anticipation.

The Mexican food was delicious, and if I ever came back to Las Vegas, I would definitely go to that restaurant again. The chicken and cheese quesadilla I ordered was cooked to perfection and the cheese was stringy- just the way I liked it. I could tell Lexi really liked her food too because she didn't say a word the rest of the meal once the plate was set in front of her. She ordered some enchilada or something; I couldn't really tell what it was because it was smothered in so much sauce, rice, and beans. We could barely understand our waiter, too, and he mistook my order of water for beer. Lexi thought it was hilarious and after only one beer, I was already a little tipsy. She paid for dinner and drove us back to the hotel where I crashed as soon as my head hit my pillow.

Lexi snickered and got into her own bed. "You're funny when you're tipsy," she commented. I groaned and buried my head in my pillow.

"I feel so irresponsible..." I muttered. Lexi turned out the light and crawled under her covers.

"No, you're just starting to live."

* * *

The next day I woke up with a slight hangover. I had never consumed enough alcohol at one time to actually be drunk, so the feeling of a hangover was quite the new experience for me. My head hurt slightly, but thankfully not like I was just hit by a truck, and I felt slightly nauseous. I swore to myself right then and there that I would never drink another beer again, but Lexi just laughed and dragged me out of bed to get ready for the Chippendales show. I didn't even know it was already time to leave; apparently I sleep like a rock when I've had alcohol.

"Why do you think I should wear? The blue dress or the red tank top?" Lexi asked as she held the articles of clothing up for me to see. I rolled my eyes and pulled a random shirt on over my bra.

"Does it really matter?" I questioned. "It's gonna be dark in the room; nobody will even notice you. They'll be too busy looking at the half naked men on stage."

Lexi chuckled. "Yeah, I guess so. Oh shit, look at the time!" She pointed at the bedside clock, her eyes wide in shock. "It's already 8:30! Come on, we gotta go!"

She finished putting on her clothes and then grabbed my hand and dragged me out to the car. We hopped in and turned on some music, then rolled the windows down to let the window rush through our hair. As we drove down the street to The Strip, we couldn't help but giggle in excitement. Not just because we got to see hot guys, but because we got to see hot guys while we were in a relationship. Talk about thrilling!

We pulled up into the Rio All-Suites Hotel and Casino a few minutes later and parked in the back. The place was already packed full and we could hear the music blaring from inside. Lexi thought the show started without us, so she hurriedly parked the car and we ran inside. We showed our tickets to the admissions dude, and he let us past the red velvet rope. Lexi squealed in excitement and grabbed my hand and pulled me in.

The place was incredible. It was so big, and the stage was huge and dark, waiting for a bunch of hot men to come on and start dancing. There were so many women sitting in the red velvet covered folding seats, and the room was buzzing with gossip. Lexi and I went up a small flight of stairs and took a seat in one of the booths. The lights suddenly dimmed and the stage lit up. The room erupted into squeals and giggles, and we watched, or mouths drooling, as a line of about ten men walked onstage.

My phone started to ring.

"Are you serious right now?" Lexi hissed. "Turn it off, the show is starting!"

I took my phone out of my pocket and checked the caller ID. After we got back from the hospital, I snuck the neighbor's horse back into their barn and found my phone under a pile of hay. The screen lit up and my heart ached slightly when the word "Home" came up. Despite Lexi's protests, I clicked the call button and brought the phone to my ear.

"Hello?"

"_Hey, Lexi! It's me, Korea!"_

"What are you doing at home? Shouldn't you be with Anthony?"

"_That asshole dropped us off back here as soon as you left. Oh, and he told us not to tell you," _America's voice said bitterly. Faintly, I heard Korea yell "Hey!" and I assumed America took the phone. _"Some boyfriend you have."_

I gaped at the phone. "He didn't really abandon you, did he? If he did, I swear I will kill him the minute I set my foot back in New Hampshire."

America chuckled. _"That's great, but we kind of have a problem…"_

"Look!" Lexi exclaimed. She pointed to the stage where the men were ripping their shirts off. "Aren't they gorgeous?"

"Yeah, that's great." I said absentmindedly. "What kind of problem, America?"

"_Another unit came."_

"Which one?"

"_Uh," _he paused for a second, probably reading the manual. Suddenly he laughed. _"He replies to 'Stalin's bitch'? Oh man, that's rich!"_

"Quit the rhymes," I snapped. Stalin…wasn't that the crazed leader of Russia during World War Two? Oh dear… "Who is it?"

"_Hold on, let me undo these chains…"_

I gulped. "Chains?"

"_No, you idiot!" _Korea yelled. _"Don't you dare-"_

"_The _American _Armstrong walked on the moon!"_

"What's going on over there?" I yelled. Lexi looked at me for a split second before turning back to the men onstage. "Korea, what's America doing?"

Faintly, I heard the sound of a box being blown open and suddenly, America was screaming and laughing at the same time. _"I told you not to do that option, da-ze!" _Korea screamed. _"Now he's trying to kill us!"_

"Who the heck is it?" I demanded, but I already knew the answer. There was a pause and another crash, then Korea and America screamed.

"_It's Russia!" _they yelled. _"And he's pissed!"_

* * *

**AN: And so, here enters Russia! I contemplated having Lily wake him up by yelling "Brother!", but I figured this way would be more fun. Tune in next time to see what happens! PLEASE GO TO MY PROFILE TO VOTE FOR THE NEXT UNIT! Thank you for reading!**

**Mei-Ling out. Peace! :3**


	7. Chapter 7: I Have To Come Home To This?

**AN: Hey guys, me again! Sorry I didn't update sooner; school started on the 29th and I had to get used to everything. I'm now officially a freshman in high school! The only bad part? I already have homework. Scheiße!**

**Well, without further ado, enjoy chapter seven!**

* * *

I didn't really pay attention to the show after Korea called me. Well, I did, and I enjoyed the military part immensely, but everything else I didn't care for. I was anxious to go home now, to see my Units again and to meet my new Russia Unit, but from the sounds of it, Russia was very hostile. It was most likely because America said that thing…what was it…the American Armstrong walked on the moon? Yeah, something like that. It probably pissed Russia off and now he was trying to kill them. Honestly, can't America do anything right?

When the show was over it was already midnight, but Lexi wanted to go out for a few drinks. I told her that I would never drink again, but somehow she managed to convince me otherwise and we went out to the nearest bar and ordered some beers. Needless to say, after just one, I was already tipsy.

"And then he said he didn't like being with me anymore!" I said, my voice all slurred. I grabbed my second beer and took a swig, cringing as the liquid burned my throat. I didn't even like beer- if I had any kind of alcohol, it would just be a Mike's Hard Lemonade- but this was making me feel all warm inside, so I figured it couldn't be that bad if it was making me happy.

Lexi watched me carefully and took a small sip of her own beer. "Was that why you were crying when I came back to my room?"

I hiccupped. "I wasn't crying, it was just face rain."

Lexi chuckled. "Sure, sure…"

"Anyway," I continued after taking another sip. "During the thing-"

"The Chippendales show,"

"Yeah, that. My cousin called me and said that he abandoned them as soon as I left. What kinda boyfriend is that?" I shouted. The bartender sent me a wary glance that I returned with a glare.

Lexi shrugged. "I don't know what's going on with Anthony, but I can tell it's not good. He's being unfair, I think you should dump him."

"Dump him?" I questioned, my eyes wide. "Hey yo bartender! Gimme a screwdriver,"

"On the rocks?" he asked. I shook my head.

"I'd prefer to taste the orange juice, thank you very much."

"Since when do you drink vodka?" Lexi asked. She grabbed my bottle of beer when I reached for it.

"Since some crazy Russian was shipped to my house. Gimme the beer! I paid for it!"

Lexi shook her head, worried wrinkles appearing on her forehead. "You're already drunk. Listen to yourself, spewing nonsense about Russians. Come on, let's go back to the hotel. You can sleep off your hangover tomorrow on the flight home."

"But my screwdriver!"

"I'll see if I can get it to go."

Lexi led me out to the car and buckled me in, locking the doors so I couldn't escape or do something stupid. She went back into the bar to pay for our drinks and came back out a few minutes later with a paper cup that had my screwdriver in it. I thanked her, though I don't think she understood me, and downed it in a few gulps. I tasted more vodka than orange juice, and in just a few minutes, I was out like a light.

When I came to, it was because a pillow smacked me in the face. I sat bolt upright in my bed but soon regretted it when my head began to pound. It felt like my head had been bashed with a battering ram and then stuffed with cotton. I groaned and buried my head in my pillow, my headache worsening because of the light.

"Wake up, you lazy-ass!" Lexi said. She shook me and threw the comforter and sheets off my bed, leaving me exposed to the cold morning air. A breeze came through the open window and I shivered.

"What the _heck _man?" I whined. "Jesus Christ, my head hurts…"

"Yeah, it's called a hangover. Get used to it."

Another breeze came in and goose bumps appeared all over my skin. "Why is it so cold? We're in Vegas for Christ's sake!"

Lexi sighed impatiently. "Mornings are cool in Vegas. Come on, _wake up. _Do you want to miss our flight home?"

"Why would you book a flight so early anyway?" I complained. The pillow hit my head again.

"Shut up. Advil's on the table. You might feel like you need to puke, so don't take the pill until you actually do."

With a groan, I got out of bed and quickly got dressed. Every little sound felt like an explosion in my ears, and my headache pounded so bad I thought my skull would crack. It was very difficult, but I managed to get dressed, pack my things, and get out to the car in one piece. As soon as everything was packed, Lexi hopped in the driver's seat and we were on our way to the airport.

When we got there, things weren't so pretty.

The first thing I did was go to the bathroom and puke. It was gross, and some bile even came out of my nose. Lexi waited outside while I barfed up all of the alcohol I had consumed the night before, and only came in to warn me that I needed to hurry up if we were going to get through security and board the plane in time. From my hunched over position in the bathroom stall, I glared in the direction of Lexi's voice. I was busy puking my brains out and she had the guts to say "Hurry up"?

But she had a point, so I quickly cleaned the sides of the toilet with toilet paper and flushed, then rinsed my mouth out in the sink. I swallowed the Advil pills as well and quickly met up with Lexi outside of security where we got our carryon bags checked and we went through the full body scanner. Airport security was still extremely tight, and I hated those full body scanners with a passion. I felt naked standing in one of those things, but it was better than being patted down by an officer in front of other people.

After we got our bags and before we went to our gate, Lexi and I stopped by Subway and picked up some subs to eat on the flight. We went to another little convenience store and got some bags of candy, and I loaded up on water bottles. Lexi told me that drinking a lot of water would help get rid of my hangover, so I got at least four water bottles to make it through the flight.

When we got everything we needed, we headed back over to our gate. We got there just in time for it to start boarding passengers, so we showed our tickets to the ticket checker person and found some seats in the back near the restroom. While we waited for everyone else to get seated, we read some of the magazines provided and talked about the Chippendales show. Finally, after thirty minutes, everyone was seated and we took off from the runway.

The flight was long and boring. Plus, the cabin pressure made my hangover feel twice as bad, so my head felt like it was literally about to explode. I tried to just sleep it off, but the pain was so unbearable and it kept me awake. Lexi was more fortunate than me, however, because she didn't drink as much as I did, so she never had a hangover. As she dozed with her head on my shoulder, I looked at her with envy. If only my head didn't hurt so much! I swear I'm never drinking again!

Not only was the flight extremely uneventful and long, but I was worried about my Units the whole time. If Russia was hostile, which from the sound of it, he was, then he was probably going on a rampage right now and messing up my house. All of my Units were in danger, and it was technically America's fault. Did he really have to choose probably the worst way to wake him up? Well, he's America. Even if he was the Revolutionary War edition, he still acted like a normal America probably would, so I should've expected him to do something stupid. But still, why did he have to do that?

When we finally landed, my hangover was still pretty bad, but not as much as before. I shook Lexi's shoulder to wake her up, and then we grabbed our carryon bags and exited the plane. Dex was there to pick us up, and if Anthony hadn't supposedly abandoned my Units, then they would be here too. As we walked over to where Dex was waiting, I felt kind of sad that Anthony wasn't here. He had been there to see me off, so why couldn't he come to pick me up too?

I walked over to Dex and smiled nonetheless. "Hey there pretty lady," he said and winked. He put an arm around my shoulder and did the same with Lexi. "Let's go get your bags."

We went to the baggage claim area and waited as the suitcases were unloaded from the plane. I spotted my small pink one as it came out on the conveyor belt and immediately ran over to get it. As we waited for Lexi's to come around, Dex and I chatted about the trip. He didn't know we went to Vegas either, so I had to lie and say that Shenandoah was great. It probably was a great school anyway, but since I had never been there before, I didn't know what to say. So, I just smiled and made stuff up as Dex asked questions.

Eventually Lexi found her bag and we all headed out to the parking lot. We piled into Dex's car and sped out of the airport. Every time we went over a speed bump or any kind of crack or bump, I felt a sharp pain in my head and cringed. I tried to hide it, but Dex noticed and understood immediately. He laughed and drove faster, determined to get me home so I could rest. While I appreciated the gesture, it didn't help to lessen the pain. If anything, it made it worse. But, we made it to my house in one piece, and that was all that really mattered in the end.

Suitcase in hand, I turned around and waved to Lexi and Dex as they drove back up my driveway. Dex honked his horn and I laughed, even though it made my head feel like crap. Searching with one hand to find my keys in my pocket, I walked up the pathway to my front door and up the small flight of stairs that was there. When I finally found my keys, I stuck them into the door, turned them, and entered the house.

It was quiet. Eerily quiet. Not to mention the house was trashed like a tornado had just blown through. Furniture was knocked over, glass was broken and scattered across the floor, and my Units were nowhere in sight. I set my suitcase down on the floor next to me and took off my jacket. "Guys, I'm home," I called. My voice sounded incredibly loud and it echoed off the walls. I put my keys back in my pocket, threw my jacket onto a hanger, and slowly walked into the living room, afraid to make too much noise. "Guys?" I asked quietly. "America? Korea? Canada?"

A small rustling noise to my left made me jump and almost scream. My head snapped over to look at the kitchen, but nothing was there. I waited for a few minutes, my voice stuck in my throat, and when I was sure I wasn't starting to hear things, I let out a breath it didn't know I was holding. I rubbed my forehead and walked carefully over the debris on the floor. Look at me, getting freaked out over nothing! There was nothing to be afraid of! Now if I could just find my Units…

I entered the kitchen and saw a few empty and broken bottles of vodka. They were actually of the Stolichnaya brand, the one my dad used to drink before he switched to Belvedere. Upon closer inspection, I saw little ripped bits of cloth that looked like it came from America's Revolutionary War uniform, and some of what looked like Korea's hanbok, littered all over the floor. I cringed as I heard the glass shatter underneath my boots and quickly left the scene, deciding to look elsewhere for my missing Units.

It was when I stepped out into the hallway that I felt an overwhelming presence nearby. I froze, my blood running cold. Turning my head slightly, I looked down the hallway and almost fainted at the sight that greeted me.

It was Russia.

His coat was splattered and smeared with blood and he held his faucet pipe in his hands tightly. He turned to me, having just noticed that I was there, and smiled. A shiver ran down my spine and my mind was screaming for me to run, but I was too scared to move. Only when Russia started walking towards me while twisting his pipe in his hand did I take off sprinting down the hall and up the stairs.

I ran without knowing where I was going, but I ended up in the bathroom in my room. I closed the door as quietly as possible so Russia couldn't hear me, and then locked it firmly. I took the small shelving unit that was up against the wall and pushed it in front of the door, adding to my protection. When I did everything I could to make sure Russia couldn't get in, I slid down against the wall, breathing heavily.

"Psst!" I jumped at the sound and turned to the built in storage closet to my right. "Psst!" the sound came again. Hesitantly, I gripped the handle with a shaking hand and pulled it open, revealing a trembling America, Korea, and Chibi Canada. I gaped at them, but quickly helped them out of the closet and hugged them, then checked them for injuries. When I couldn't find any except for a few minor scratches, I sighed in relief, but then I slapped America upside the head.

"What the hell was that for?" he whisper-yelled. I glared at him and smacked him again.

"You idiot!" I scolded. "What were you thinking, provoking Russia like that? Have you seen what it looks like downstairs? It's a mess, America, a mess! And you're the one who caused it!"

America looked at me guiltily before fixing his gaze on his lap. "I…I didn't mean-"

"Oh sure, you _didn't mean to do it, _did you? It didn't sound like that to me when you screamed 'The American Armstrong walked on the moon' practically in his face!"

"Um, Lily-"

"Korea, this isn't your problem. This is about how America almost got the three of you killed, not to mention me. Honestly, America, what were you thinking? Why do you have to make everything so difficult? Can't you learn for once? What made you do something as stupid as that?"

A pounding on the door made me cease my rant. We all looked at each other in fear and scooted closer together, shaking. Russia beat the door with his fists again and one of the hinges blew off. Looking from the door to my Units, and back at the closet, I pushed America, Korea, and Canada back in the closet, then stood in front of it. America complained, but after Korea explained that I was basically saving their butts, he shut up. And just in time too, because the door burst open and Russia stormed in, eyes ablaze and faucet pipe at the ready.

"Where is America?" he asked, his voice sickly sweet. I gulped and moved away from the closet a bit, trying not to look like I knew they were there.

Russia eyed me carefully as I inched my way to the right. "Russia…calm down, okay?" I put my hands up in surrender, hoping he would back down. He didn't. Instead, he got right up in my face, his faucet pipe tapping my shoulder lightly. "Whatever America did, I'm sorry. I'll make it up to you somehow, I promise."

Russia laughed. "Oh really? Well, you can start by letting me hear you scream,"

"Wait, what?" Before I had time to process what he just said, he lifted his pipe up and brought it down on my back hard. I stumbled over and landed on my knees as I heard my back crack. I bit my lip to keep from crying out because know I knew that's what Russia wanted, and I was not one to give in easily. He brought it down again, this time with much more force, and I tasted blood in my mouth. I must've bitten my lip, but either way, I wasn't going to cry. I wouldn't give him that satisfaction.

He brought his pipe up, and with one swift motion, swung it the direction of my head. I put my hands up, ready to defend myself, and just in time caught the pipe before it could smash my head in. Russia glared at me, but winced when the force traveled up his wrist. I glanced over at his wrist quickly and saw that it was swollen and bent a bit. Poor Russia. Even though he was trying to hurt me, he was hurt himself, so I felt like I had to do something about it. As Russia brought his pipe up to hit me again, I put my hands in front of me and closed my eyes.

"Stop!" I shouted. "I just want to help you!"

The pipe never made contact with my head. Instead, it clattered to the floor. I opened my eyes slowly, bringing my hands down. Russia was looking at me curiously, as if he had never heard those words before. He backed away a bit, too shocked to respond, and bumped into the wall. He touched his tender wrist and winced, but quickly hid the pain on his face.

"You…you want to _help?" _he asked. I nodded and got up hesitantly, flinching when pain shot through my entire body. I approached Russia carefully, trying to get close without him freaking out and hurting me again. The last thing I wanted was a pipe to the face.

"Yes," I said softly. "You're hurt and need help."

"No one's ever helped me before,"

"They haven't?" I gave him a questioning look and he looked away nervously.

"It's how certain Units are programmed." America said. He, Korea, and Canada cautiously came out of the storage closet and hovered behind me. Russia glared and moved forward a bit, but I put myself between the two before anything could happen. When I was sure they weren't going to lunge at each other, I turned back to Russia and grabbed his wrist carefully. He hissed in pain and I apologized, then pushed his sleeve up his arm. Examining his wrist closer, it looked very swollen and red. I frowned and ran my hand over it gently.

"You definitely broke it," I said. "There's not much I can do professionally. We'd have to take you to the hospital to get it set in a cast."

Russia frowned. "I do not trust doctors. I will not go."

Oh great. He was stubborn. Just what I needed. I sighed and grabbed his good wrist, aware of the glares he was sending me, and led everyone downstairs. "If we don't get professional help, the bones will heal the wrong way and then you'll never be able to use your hand correctly again."

Russia considered this for a moment. "Why are you helping me?" he asked finally. I shrugged.

"You're hurt. I don't like to see people hurt. You don't deserve pain."

"But I destroyed your belongings and hurt you as well,"

I stopped walking and looked at all of the broken things on the floor. True, he did beat me and break my stuff, but he didn't know what was happening. He was too mad to understand the consequences of his actions. And it was technically America's fault for provoking him, but I couldn't blame him either. He didn't deserve any more pain than he'd already been through.

I gave Russia a smile and took my jacket off of its hanger. "Come on, everyone in the car. We're taking another trip to the hospital."

* * *

This time, things were plain and simple. It only took about ten minutes to get to the hospital since there was no way I was driving all the way down to Concord again, and I barely had to explain the situation when we walked through the doors. Apparently there were bruises all over my back and chest from Russia kicking me a few times. I had some bad scratches, but they were taken care of easily.

Russia, on the other hand, wasn't so fortunate. He broke his wrist, had many cuts and scrapes, and broke his foot. I never saw him limping, so he hid his pain well. He came out in a wheelchair because he couldn't use crutches with a broken wrist. America started laughing and Russia and I both sent him a death glare. I wasn't laughing when America almost drowned or was shot, so there was no reason for him to laugh now.

After giving my address for the hospital to send the bill to, I drove everyone home and immediately went up to my room to rest. The doctor told me to relax and not do anything that would require me to move around. Basically, everything. So, I was stuck in bed for a few days while my currently functional Units cared for me and Russia. I'll admit, even though Russia began to act nicer to me after what happened, I was still on edge with him and often shied away from him whenever he got too close. I couldn't help it; what he did was pretty traumatic. But even then, I still felt bad for him and tried to make us comfortable in each other's presence, but it was a group effort that wasn't really going anywhere.

As soon as I parked my car in the garage, I carefully got out and went into the house and up to my room. I left Russia to be taken in by Korea; I was nowhere near ready to see him yet. I eased myself under my covers and sighed in relief; I really needed some rest. The whole day had been hectic and I was drained. I closed my eyes and sighed, snuggling my head into my pillow. If I could just get a solid nine hours of sleep or so…

I was about to drift off when I heard my door swing open. Angered by the fact that someone dared to disturb me when I was in such a condition, I snapped my eyes open and glared at who had just entered, but my anger turned to fear when I realized who it was that had appeared.

Russia had apparently wheeled himself into my room after America reluctantly took him out of his wheelchair, carried him up the stairs, went back down for his wheelchair, and put him back in it. I could hear him grumbling as he went back down the stairs, then I heard him conversing quietly with Korea. Russia looked at me guiltily and wheeled himself over to the side of my bed. He gazed down at his lap for a moment, probably deciding what to say, and then looked up at me again.

I beat him to it, however. "Russia…please. If you would like to rest, I could have America prop you up on one of the couches downstairs. I need to rest, the doctor told me to. Can I rest by myself?"

Russia looked even guiltier now. "I-I just wanted to apologize for my behavior earlier. I shouldn't have acted the way I did. You didn't deserve it,"

I smiled lightly. "I accept your apology, Russia, and I understand. If that's all you have to say, can you please go back downstairs?"

"Are you afraid of me?" Russia asked suddenly. The sadness in his voice caught me off guard and my eyes widened.

"Well…" I didn't want him to know that yes, I _was _afraid of him, because I figured it would make him angry, but when he asked me so bluntly like that, what was I supposed to say? "I…yeah, kind of. Okay, a lot, but I don't hold anything against you…"

"No, it's okay," he said. "I deserve it, da? I take full blame. I just hope one day we can be friends again!" He smiled and wheeled over to the door, but then looked back at me thoughtfully before leaving. "Get better soon," he said, and then he was gone.

I heard him call softly for Korea and in a few minutes I heard him rolling away downstairs. His apology sounded so genuine and I couldn't help but let a smile spread across my lips. Was I still afraid of him? Yes, tremendously so. But did I hate him for what he did? No, not at all. If anyone was to blame, it was Flying Mint Bunny Inc. for raising him that way. I nodded to myself as I buried my head deeper into my pillow. That was exactly what I would do, blame FMBI. It was all their fault, and one day, I would get back at them for all of the trouble they caused me and my Units.

I fell asleep moments later thinking of blissful revenge.

* * *

**AN: Oh, dark thoughts, Lily! Dark thoughts...I hope I didn't make you guys hate Russia or something, after all, he _did _apologize in the cutest way ever. PLEASE VISIT MY PROFILE TO VOTE FOR THE LAST UNIT. Yes, I have decided the Unit who gets the most votes will be the last Unit for this story. But fear not! I have plans to make a sequel, but polls for that will be put up at a later date. So far, Spain is winning! Let's see if he gets beaten again!**

**Mei-Ling out. Peace! :3**


	8. Chapter 8: My Heart Hurts

**AN: Happy birthday xXGrayGuitar14Xx! I know this chapter is two hours late *cue sheepish smile*, but I've just had so much homework! ;_; But who cares about that? YOU ROCK BRO!**

**I'd just like to thank all of you who have reviewed, favorited, and alerted this story. It means so much to me. It means even more to know that you can wait a month for me to update. Hold on a minute...holy shit. It's been exactly a month since I updated. Wow...I didn't plan that at all, actually. That's kind of weird.**

**But enough about my weirdness. Onward to the story!**

* * *

When I woke up the next morning, I wasn't too surprised to realize something about my position.

I couldn't get up.

Technically yes, I could get up if I wanted to break my spine. But the thing is, I _didn't_ want to, so I was forced to lie in my bed for a few hours. When I woke up it was only 8:00 in the morning, and I knew none of my Units would be awake. I couldn't just call out and expect one of them to appear in my room, so I stared at my ceiling for a few hours until someone woke up. My body does this stupid thing where once I'm awake and there's some amount of light in the room, I can't fall back asleep. And because my window shades happened to be up, there was plenty of light to prevent me from falling back asleep, so I was basically stuck here until one of my Units woke up and came to check on me.

After about an hour of staring at my boring white ceiling, I had had enough. I didn't care if I woke one of my Units; I needed to go to the bathroom badly and I was getting hungry! I turned my head slightly and looked at Canada who was curled up against my side. Kumajirou was above his head, rubbing up against my cheek. It kind of surprised me to see Kumajirou there. I had ignored him and forgotten about him for so long that I didn't even remember he was sent with Canada. That and I forgot about Canada too. I had been spending so much time protecting America that I hardly paid attention to him or my other Units, now that I thought about it…

Well, that had to change. I couldn't just forget all about Canada. He was the first Unit I got. Maybe today we'll go out and have a little bonding time or something, you know, do something fun! Yeah, I could take everyone to the park and Canada and I could swing together! Or we could-

"_Maman?" _

I blinked and looked down. Canada was wide awake and looking at me curiously. I smiled and kissed his head, and he snuggled closer to my side.

"Hey, little dude," I whispered. He looked up at me and pulled Kumajirou closer to him. "I need you to go wake up Korea."

"_Quoi?"_

Crap, that's right. He doesn't speak English. Wait, didn't America speak French because of the Revolution? Yeah, I could get him instead! But how would I tell Canada to get him? "Uh, _allez _America." I said. I totally just butchered the French language but I didn't really care. As long as it got America here, then it was fine.

Canada cringed at my horrible French. _"Apportez Amérique ici?" _he asked. I nodded even though I had no idea what he said, and he climbed over me and jumped down to the floor. He exited the room and went down the hall, then I heard America's door opening.

There were a few moments of silence before I heard groaning and some mumbling. America yelled "What the hell man?" and Canada yelled something back that I couldn't understand. A few seconds later America's door burst open and there were footsteps trudging down the hall. I turned towards the door just in time to see America walk into my room, rubbing his eyes and muttering curses under his breath.

"Friggin' wakin' me up at nine…" he mumbled. He brought his hands down and looked at me tiredly. "What the hell do you want?"

I snickered. "Charming," I motioned for him to come closer and he did so slowly. "I need you to get me out of bed."

This woke America right up. His eyes widened immensely and he reeled back in shock. The expression of horror on his face was priceless and I burst out laughing. His face quickly flushed a brilliant shade of crimson and he looked away, embarrassed.

"And you need my help why?" he asked, trying to change the subject. I gestured to my obvious position.

"I'm kind of stuck here, thanks for not noticing."

"Again, you need my help why?"

I sighed and resisted the urge to face palm. Was this kid slow? Well, it was morning… "The doctor told me to avoid any bending or overexertion of my spine at all costs. Now will you please help me get out of bed?"

America scratched the back of his head and looked at my carefully, as if studying the best way to lift me out of my prison. He stayed quiet for a while before yawning and then walking out of the room.

"H-hey!" I called. "Where do you think you're going?"

Just then, I heard a muffled bump in Korea's room. "What the hell was that for, da-ze?" Korea shrieked. "Do you know what time it is? Ow, OW! Don't pull that! Let go of me, jerk!"

Suddenly, America shoved Korea into the room, well, more like threw, and walked away back to his own room. Korea stumbled forward and fell onto my bed, but quickly sat up and rubbed his eyes. He saw me and smiled, then turned to the door and glared.

"Stupid America…" he muttered. He reached a hand up and patted his curl protectively. He scrambled off my bed and yawned, then looked at me tiredly. "You need help?" he asked. I nodded and he looked at me awkwardly. "Uh, what am I supposed to do?"

I sighed. This was getting ridiculous. "Go get America and tell him he needs to help otherwise I'll throw him outside in the cold." I snapped. "That kid needs to show some respect."

Korea nodded and left. A few moments later, America's protests could be heard clearly through the walls. His protests became louder as Korea dragged him to my door, and once again he was in my room. I smiled cheekily at him when he looked up.

"Welcome back," I said. "Are you ready to help me now?"

America scoffed and pushed Korea off of him, then smoothed out his shirt. "Yeah, yeah sure…"

It took awhile, not to mention my head got smacked into the wall and my bureau a few times, but eventually I was out of bed. My Units had to actually cooperate in order to get the job done, but some bribery helped to get the process going. Korea took hold of my ankles while America had his arms around my chest and slowly they eased me out from under my warm covers and into the cold air. Then, Korea lowered my legs until my feet were on the floor and America pushed me back up so I was standing up straight. It looked like they were trying to turn a tall box upright, and I have to say, I was laughing almost the whole time. After I was firmly on the ground, America immediately went back to his room and Korea went downstairs to start on breakfast. I took this as my opportunity to go to the bathroom and change my clothes, but it turned out to be much harder than I initially thought.

My whole body hurt when I moved. Even the smallest movements such as flexing my fingers made me flinch, so the walk to the bathroom was pretty painful. Pulling down my pajama pants and sitting on the toilet hurt like a female dog, but I managed it okay, I guess. It was the fact that I had to bend down to put my pants back on that really screwed me over.

The doctor told me to avoid bending my spine at all costs, and he warned that bending over would probably be really painful. I was never one to go against a doctor's advice but God dangit I wanted my pants back on! I already bent over to pull down my pants and that hurt like crap, so I was not looking forward to have to bend down again. Nevertheless, if I wanted to be fully clothed, I had to give my spine a workout. Needless to say it hurt like heck and I simply decided to wear my pajamas for the rest of the day. After all, it wasn't like I was going anywhere or having anyone over.

…I would eat those words later.

Anyway, after I was done in the bathroom, I went downstairs and into the living room. To my surprise, Russia was already awake. He was sitting on the couch and flipping through TV channels uninterestingly, and Canada was on the floor in front of him playing with some of the toys I bought. It was a cute sight but I shuddered when I saw Russia and it sent a wave over pain over my entire body. He looked at me and smiled, but said nothing. He must've known I wasn't ready to talk to him yet.

I walked into the kitchen and saw Korea slaving away over a pan on the stove. It made me happy to think that some of my Units could actually be helpful around the house. Smiling to Korea when he looked my way, I sat on one of the barstools behind the counter and waited patiently for him to finish whatever he was cooking. Upstairs, I heard a loud thud and could hear America swearing. I shook my head and sighed. That kid was so clumsy…especially in the morning.

"Breakfast's ready!" Korea announced. He took a porcelain plate out of the cupboard and scooped some scrambled eggs onto it with a spatula, then set it in front of me and went to get the saltshaker. I thanked him and sprinkled salt on my eggs, then began to dig in.

Korea was an amazing cook. There was no doubt about it. He knew how to cook things right. Those eggs were probably the greatest meal I've had in awhile, besides Korea's amazing dinner a few weeks ago. I smiled at him and told him how good it was, and he immediately dove into a long tale of his culinary experience with China and Japan. It was interesting, really. Apparently there were China and Japan Units too. I wondered vaguely what it would be like to have been shipped one of them instead of my other Units, but I quickly dismissed the thought. I wouldn't change my Units for any other Units in the whole world.

As I was finishing up, I looked over and noticed a piece of paper hidden under some of the debris on the counter. The place was still a mess because I didn't bother to clean it yesterday, so there was still glass, broken furniture, and other kinds of rubble littered everywhere. I reached over and removed it from under a broken picture frame, then brought it up to my face.

"Hey, Korea?" I asked, waving the note in the air. "Where did this come from?"

"Huh?" Korea put the soapy pan he was holding down in the sink and washed his hands. Once they were dry, he came over and leaned across the table, squinting at the note. Suddenly, recognition flared in his eyes. "Oh yeah!" he exclaimed. "That came with Russia when he was shipped here a few days ago. The delivery guy told me to give it to you as soon as you got home,"

"Really?" I brought the note closer and looked at it curiously. "Did he say anything else?"

Korea looked thoughtful for a minute. Finally, he shook his head. "No, he just said it was really important that you read it straight away."

"Oh…" I looked at the note again. What was so important that I needed to read it as soon as I got home?

_Dear Ms. Hamilton,_

_If you received this note from me, then that means your new Russia Unit has arrived. I have attached this note to his crate in hopes that you will heed its warning._

_The Russia Unit is our most unstable Unit, and we generally discourage potential customers from purchasing it. In your case, it was picked at random. I don't normally send personal messages like this because buyers must sign a waiver of liability before making their purchase, but you had no way of knowing which Unit you would get next. I sincerely hope you get the chance to read this letter before anything bad happens._

I snorted. Too late.

_If you have any questions or concerns regarding your Russia Unit and his interactions with the other Units in your possession, please don't hesitate to call my number below. I can give you advice anytime you need it._

_Sincerely,_

_Brent Saxton_

Beneath his signature, Brent's cell phone number was written hastily. The whole letter was written as if he were in a hurry. I glanced over at the home phone and back at Brent's number. It wouldn't hurt to call, right? Maybe he could give me some tips on how to keep Russia's behavior in check. Yeah, I think I will call him! With a newfound determination, I picked up the phone and dialed his number.

After the phone rang a few times, Brent picked up. _"Hello?" _he asked. Suddenly, embarrassment washed over me as I realized I had no idea what to say. I blushed and thanked my lucky stars he couldn't see my face.

"U-uh, hey Brent. It's Lily. I uh, got your note," I stuttered.

"_Oh, hey, Lily!" _he exclaimed. _"I'm glad you got my note. How are things with Russia? Did you get him out of the crate with no trouble?"_

I twiddled my thumbs and looked sheepishly at the debris on the floor. "Well," I started. "I wasn't here when he arrived, so America did it for me."

There was a moment of silence. _"…America activated him for you?" _he asked finally. I paled.

"Yeah…"

"_Crap. Are you alright? Russia didn't hurt you, did he?"_

I glanced at Russia who was currently sleeping in his chair with his head turned to one side. "Um…"

"_Dammit!" _Brent cussed. _"This always happens…"_

"But I'm fine now, I swear!" I said hastily. "It was just some minor bruising, that's all."

"_I don't even know why we make Russia Units. They're nothing but trouble. He didn't destroy your house, right?"_

"...Well…"

Brent sighed. Faintly, I heard the sound of something hitting a desk. A few papers shuffled around and I heard the clicking of a pen. Suddenly, there was another male voice in the background.

"_Wait, what?" _Brent asked. _"Hold on a minute, Lily,"_

I waited in silence for Brent to finish talking. As he was doing so, I looked around at the floor and kicked some debris out of the way with my feet. I could hear Russia snoring lightly and I smiled the slightest bit. He didn't look scary at all when he was sleeping. In fact, he looked kind of cute. As if he knew I was staring at him, he shifted in his seat and his head fell to the other side. I looked away quickly and began to twirl the phone's cord around my finger. Just then, I was aware that Korea was not in the room. That meant Russia and I were alone. I gulped nervously and turned my gaze to my calendar. Russia was sleeping, so I would be fine. There was no need to get so worked up over nothing.

"_Lily, you still there?"_

I snapped out of my thoughts and nodded my head. "Yeah, I'm still here."

"_That's good. Was there anything else you needed? Any advice about Russia? I could come over and talk to him if you'd like."_

My eyes widened. "You can do that? Will he even listen to you?"

I heard Brent shift in his seat. _"Most likely he won't, but it's worth a try, right?" _

I shrugged. "I guess. Uh, how long 'till you think you'll get here?"

"_Hmm, probably a half an hour. I still have some paperwork to finish, so…"_

I laughed nervously. The blush from earlier came back and set my cheeks on fire. "I-I guess I'll see you later then,"

"_Yeah…well, bye,"_

"Bye…"

I hung up the phone immediately. Talk about most awkward conversation ever! I glanced at my calendar and my eyes widened slightly. Next week was my birthday and I had completely forgotten! I didn't even remember what month it was anymore. "Geez, these Units are quite the handful…" I muttered to myself. I shook my head while smiling lightly and went upstairs to get changed. I thought today would just be a lazy day, but now that Brent was coming, I had to get dressed and be presentable.

As I was walking up the stairs, a flash of light caught my eye. I turned around and looked out the window. Driving slowly down my driveway was Anthony's car. I turned back around and ran up the stairs, then burst into my room and immediately started getting dressed. Well, this was great. I had Brent coming over to talk to me about Russia and now my boyfriend is showing up out of the blue. All the more reason to get dressed, I suppose. But why was Anthony coming over unannounced? Usually he called before heading over…

I was putting on some mascara when I heard the doorbell ring. Someone ran to the door and opened it.

"Lily, your boyfriend is here!" America called. "When did you invite him over?"

"Just a second!" I yelled. I quickly put on some chapstick and brushed my hair, then I ran back downstairs. Anthony was standing in the doorway awkwardly and America was glaring at him. I rolled my eyes at America and told him to go chill with Korea or something. He grumbled under his breath and walked away, and when I was sure he was gone, I let out a sigh and turned to my boyfriend with a smile. "Hey," I said. "What's going on?"

Anthony shifted uncomfortably. He looked up from his shoes and his eyes widened in surprise when he saw how messy my house was. "What happened to your house?" he asked. I followed his stunned gaze and sighed.

"Oh nothing. My cousins get a little too rowdy at times, that's all. So, what brings you here?"

"Uh, I need to talk to you about something…"

I smiled. "Sure! Why don't we go sit in the living room?"

Anthony glanced at his watch briefly. "I don't have time. It's gonna be quick anyway."

I looked at him carefully. He wasn't acting like he normally would. It was kind of suspicious, if you ask me. I sat down at the bottom of the stairs. When I invited him to sit next to me, he simply shook his head and stayed where he was.

"Look, about your cousins…"

Suddenly, the memory of being informed that Anthony abandoned my Units flashed in my mind and I leapt up from my seat. I glared angrily at my boyfriend and he shrunk back a bit. "You dropped them off here as soon as I left! You didn't want to take care of them at all, didn't you?" I yelled. Behind me, Russia awoke from his nap and jumped a bit, startled. Chibi Canada peered from behind the wall next to the stairs and I heard America and Korea coming up the hall behind me.

Anthony sighed but straightened his posture and looked me dead in the eye. "Lily, you don't understand-"

"I understand perfectly!" I screeched. "I heard you say so to Dex when I was at his house! You said you didn't like hanging out with me anymore!" I lowered my voice and looked down, tears coming to my eyes. "Why don't you like me anymore?" I asked. "What did I do?"

"If you want me to be totally honest, then it's your cousins. Alfred in particular. And something else…"

"Hey!" America exclaimed. "Just because you don't like me doesn't mean you should break up with her!"

I gasped. "Break up?"

"_I don't know. I still love her, but something's different. I just don't like being around her as much."_

"_The flames of love are cooling off, my friend."_

"_That asshole dropped us off back here as soon as you left. Oh, and he told us not to tell you. Some boyfriend you have."_

"_I don't know what's going on with Anthony, but I can tell it's not good. He's being unfair, I think you should dump him."_

The tears started sliding down my cheeks before I had time to wipe my eyes. I stepped back and held onto the railing of the stairs, my arms shaking. My breath hitched and I hiccupped a few times. Anthony looked like he wanted to step forward and do something, but he held back and left me alone to cry. A wave of anger came over me and I rushed forward, my hands balled into fists. I pulled my right arm back and then thrust it forward with all of my strength, aiming straight for his face. My fist made contact with his eye and he stumbled back and fell to the floor from the force of the punch. His hand immediately flew to his eye and he hissed in pain and glared at me.

"What the hell, Lily?" he yelled. "Don't be a bitch about it!"

"Don't be a…don't be a…" By now, I was hyperventilating out of anger. "YOU JERK! I'VE BEEN SO FAITHFUL TO YOU! I'VE TRUSTED YOU, BEEN THERE WHEN YOU NEEDED ME, AND THIS IS HOW YOU REPAY ME? BY ABANDONING MY COUSINS AND BREAKING UP WITH ME? WHAT KIND OF BOYFRIEND ARE YOU?"

"Lily…" America started. He put a hesitant hand on my shoulder and I shook it off, too mad to deal with him right now. I stormed over to Anthony and prepared to punch him again, but Russia came out of nowhere and held my arms behind my back in a death grip. I screamed and tried to kick him and get my hands free, but his grip was too tight. After a few minutes of struggling, I began to panic and cry harder.

"You jerk!" I yelled. "Let go of me, dangit!"

"Lily, calm down! Everything's fine!" Russia reassured me. I glared at him at tried once again to free myself.

"Everything is _not _fine!" I screamed. Anthony staggered to his feet and made a break for the door, and I laughed through my tears. "Get the heck out of my house and don't you ever come back! If you do, I swear to God I'll kill you! We're over, Anthony! _Over! _Run away like the coward you are!_"_

Anthony stopped and turned around slowly, his hand still covering his now bruising eye. He held onto the doorframe for support and looked at me. "Lily, I'm sorry. I wish I could still feel the same way about you, but I can't. It's not that easy."

"Why, then?" I asked quietly, tasting my salty tears on my lips. "What made you change your mind? Why are suddenly leaving me?"

Anthony looked off into the distance wistfully. "Do you remember last year at prom?"

I sniffled and wiped my eyes since Russia had finally let go of my arms. "Yeah, why?"

"Remember when I was looking at Lindsay Peters?"

"Yeah? So?"

"And how I avoided you for almost the whole night?"

I ground my teeth together. Yes, I remembered that night as if it happened yesterday. I ended up crying the whole night when I got home. I looked up at Anthony through narrowed eyes. "I remember. But what does that have anything to do with now?"

Anthony came over and knelt by me, taking my hands in his own. He looked into my eyes and my heart fluttered in my chest. I remembered the first time I saw Anthony two years ago. It was during orientation. He was sitting a little ways away from me in the same row of the auditorium. I remember calling my friend from high school and telling her how cute he was…

I was snapped out of my memories when Anthony squeezed my hands tightly. "Lily," he said. "Do you understand?"

"What were you saying?"

Anthony sighed. "That night, I felt as though you were smothering me with attention. You wanted me all for yourself. You wouldn't let me look at other girls, much less talk to them, and you didn't want me hanging out with Dex or any of my other friends."

"But we were in a relationship! You're not supposed to look at other girls that way when you're dating another!"

"You were clingy and I hated it." he continued. "I wanted freedom. I wanted to be able to do what I wanted without any restrictions. But you put restrictions on me and I didn't like it. I learned to deal with it then, but now, I can't do it anymore. I'm sorry." He got up and headed to the door, his hands in his pockets. "Maybe it's not you. Maybe it's me. Maybe I have commitment issues or something. Either way, it's not working. I tried, Lily. I really tried. But I can't take it anymore. I'm sorry."

Russia let go of me then and I collapsed to the ground. Anthony looked at everyone in the room before nodding slightly to himself and leaving. I squeezed my eyes shut and held my head in my hands, hyperventilating. "This isn't happening. This isn't happening…" I repeated. America looked at me guiltily and moved forward to hug me, but I scooted further away.

"…I-I'm sorry, Lily," he said quietly. "I didn't mean-"

"This isn't your fault." I choked out. I wiped my face with my shirt sleeve and sniffled. When I pulled my wrist away, it was covered with mascara. I figured my mascara would've been running. And I had just finished putting it on too…

"Lily, there's-"

"Go away, Russia. All of you just leave me alone,"

"But there's-"

"I SAID LEAVE ME ALONE!"

The doorbell rang.

"There's somebody at the door." Russia stated calmly.

I looked up and sure enough, waiting outside was Brent. When he saw my tear stricken face he paled and looked at Russia accusingly. I told America to open the door and he did so, then he walked away and dragged Korea with him. Chibi Canada ran and hid somewhere, and Russia stayed by my side, looking at Brent warily.

Brent shifted uncomfortably. "Uh, is this a bad time?"

I laughed bitterly and picked myself off the floor, determined to salvage any pride I had left. "Not at all," I wiped my eyes once more and headed to the bathroom for a box of tissues. "Go ahead and sit down in the living room. Don't mind the mess. I didn't necessarily have the time to clean it…"

Brent whistled. "Geez, what did Russia do?"

"Hey," Russia warned. "It was America's fault."

"You wish!" America called from the playroom.

I rolled my eyes and walked out of the bathroom, a box of tissues in hand. I entered the living room and sat down on the couch across from Brent. I smiled in a failed attempt to show him that I was okay, but inside I felt as though my heart had been torn in two. Tears blurred my vision again and I used a tissue to wipe them away.

"So," I started. I sniffed a few times and wiped my face. "How was your day?"

Brent looked at me incredulously, but played along. "Uh, fine. How was yours?"

"Just fantastic. I am now a single, independent woman, so sue me for shedding a tear or two."

"I told you he wasn't a very good boyfriend. I hope you don't mind me asking, but why did he dump you?"

I scoffed. "He said I was too clingy. If I remember correctly, he was glaring at you the first time he even saw you, right?"

Brent nodded.

"And I said he was a little protective. So why is he the one saying I'm too clingy when he wouldn't even let you look at me?"

Brent shrugged and scratched his head. "I'm no relationships expert, but maybe he was trying to get you to feel the same way by smothering you so he didn't have to be the one to break up with you. But I could be wrong." he added hastily. I considered the thought for less than a second and then turned my attention back to Russia. After all, this was why Brent was here.

"So anyway," I said. "Now that you're here, can you talk to Russia a bit? You know, put him in his place or something?"

"I'm right here you know." Russia stated angrily. "I can hear you."

"Well, I can try, but I doubt he'll listen to me." Brent said. I shrugged and got up to go upstairs, leaving him with his business. I didn't feel like talking to anyone anyway, not after what just happened.

As Brent and Russia talked downstairs, I laid on my bed and cried. I tried to be as quiet as possible, but my gasps for breath and hiccups sounded so loud to me that I thought everyone downstairs could hear them. Dangit! How could Anthony do this to me? How could he go against me so easily? He didn't really feel that way, did he? If so, why didn't he just come to me and say something? Oh, it was because men were too tough to talk about their feelings, right? Stupid men… all of them are stupid, I say!

…I wasn't really clingy, was I?

I had a justified reason for why I didn't want him looking at other girls while we were dating. It was either all of me, or none of me at all. He couldn't have me for a back up. That wasn't clingy, right? And my Units had nothing to do with this! Sure, I asked him to watch them a few times, but I wasn't actually there to bug him. So why did he think I was clingy?

"Stupid boys…" I muttered. "No good, useless, airheaded boys…"

"Thanks a lot,"

I jumped, startled, and turned around. Standing in the doorway was America with his arms crossed and his lips set into a slight frown. I looked at him quizzically and sat up in bed, wondering why he was here.

"I heard you crying, so…"

I closed my eyes and sighed. "I appreciate the concern, but I'm fine, I swear." Lies. "Go hang out with Korea or something. Or go teach Canada English."

America ignored me and sat down next to me on my bed. "I just wanted to apologize. Anthony was a real dick anyway."

I looked at him curiously. "If this is about what he said, then don't even bother. It's not your fault, I know it. You did nothing wrong. All relationships end eventually, right?"

America looked at his hands on his lap. "I guess…"

I got up from my bed and put a hand on America's shoulder, causing him to look up. "Thanks," I said. I smiled and kissed him on the head to which he tried squirming away. "You might not think so, but you really helped."

America blinked and looked at me with wide eyes, but after a few minutes, a grin spread across his lips. "Why thank you!" he said dramatically. "It's a pleasure to be of service!"

I laughed and we both headed downstairs. It had been a good twenty minutes or so since I had last been downstairs; I figured it was time to make sure Russia didn't strangle Brent to death or cause any other damage. As America and I rounded the corner, we heard Brent and Russia conversing quietly. Only a few seconds later, they nodded to each other and Brent got out of his seat and headed to the front door.

"Aw, finished so soon?" I asked. Brent shrugged and opened the door.

"Everything's worked out. I have to go now; my boss needs me to organize some new shipping files. Your last Unit should come in a few days."

"Last Unit?" I questioned.

"You had the two free ones, America, and then you just got Russia. So you have Canada, America, Korea, Russia, and whoever else you're getting next."

"Oh, okay." I went over to the door as Brent walked out and started heading down the path to his car. "Hey, do you think you could come back sometime? Maybe just to uh, give me a few more pointers or teach Canada English? America doesn't seem to want to…"

Brent's eyes widened slightly out of surprise but he quickly smiled. "I'll check my schedule. You have my number, right?" I nodded. "Good. Well, I guess I'll call you later then,"

I blushed and started to close the door. "Y-Yeah…uh, goodbye…"

"G'day,"

Brent waved and got into his car, then turned it on and backed out of the driveway. I waved back, smiling lightly, and closed the door, then headed into the living room.

Yeah, my boyfriend broke up with me today, and my life was kind of a mess, but I was still happy with my Units here to comfort me. And now that Brent would be coming back, maybe I wouldn't be so lonely.

For some reason, I was really looking forward to getting a call from him.

* * *

**AN: Well that was...awkward. Probably not my best chapter, if I'm honest. IDK, I'm just not feelin' it. I even listened to depressing piano music when writing the breakup scene! Was it sad to you guys?**

**PLEASE VOTE FOR THE LAST UNIT. England is winning right now with 14 votes, Spain has 13, and China has 8. Poor Spain...will he EVER see the light of day that is my fanfiction? Maybe not this time, but definitely next time! If he doesn't win this poll, he'll be the first Unit in the sequel, I promise!**

**I seriously have to get off of here. I have a project due tomorrow that I still haven't finished. Dammit! Why is school so cruel to me? ;_;**

**Mei-Ling out. Peace! :3**


	9. Chapter 9: Halloween Candy Kills

**AN: THANK THE POWERS THAT BE FOR ELECTRICITY. **

**I haven't been able to go online for THREE DAYS because of Hurricane Sandy. You may think "Wow, Mei-Ling has no life" but you wouldn't be able to see this chapter if it wasn't for the Internet. Stupid Hurricane Sandy...at least I didn't have school for three days! But it set back my big move about another month or so...**

**Shoutout to SugarCoatTheTruth for reminding me of something so I didn't look like a total ass. So yeah. THANKS BRO!**

**So, without further ado, Happy Halloween mofos!**

* * *

I am stupid.

I am really, _really _stupid.

But I'm not clingy.

Remember that.

The next few days after my break up with Anthony were spent in complete agony. Because I was stupid and forgot about my back problem, my whole body ached like I had been thrown down a never-ending flight of stairs. I blamed my forgetfulness on the stress and adrenaline of breaking up with Anthony. I guess I was just so angry and sad that I forgot all about my pain, but now that I had the chance to calm down and mellow out, the pain came back tenfold. The doctor told me to avoid strenuous activities and what did I do? I went crazy and attacked Anthony, that's what. Why am I so stupid?

So to make sure I wouldn't permanently damage my spine, I forced myself to stay in bed, although no force was really necessary. I was so upset about what happened that all I wanted to do was lie in bed and be by myself, and my Units didn't question it. They gave me my space, they understood what I was going through, but I think because of that, I felt even lonelier. I needed someone to be with me now more than ever, even though I told myself I needed time alone, but my Units thought I needed time to myself, so they stayed away. The only company I got was from Chibi Canada in the few days that I barricaded myself in my room, and he was only there because I didn't let him leave.

Which is where I am now. Currently, I was in bed while crying silently and holding Canada like a teddy bear. To anyone who walked into the room, I probably looked pathetic, but I was too depressed to care about appearances. They'd feel the same way if their boyfriend just broke up with them. Not to mention I was stressed to the max because of America and the FMBDS and all of the other crap going on in my life, so they would only understand once it happened to them too.

Wiping my eyes, I rolled onto my other side and clutched Canada closer to my chest. He looked at me with wide, shiny eyes and tugged on the front of my shirt. I looked down at him and sniffled, then shifted him around so he didn't feel squished.

"I'm not clingy, right Canada?" I asked. Canada looked as though he wanted to say something, but he lacked the English vocabulary to do so. I laughed bitterly and hugged him tighter. "I'm not clingy." I said out loud. Canada made a squeak of protest. "I'm not clingy. Anthony is a liar. It's all his fault."

Fresh tears welled up in my eyes and poured down my cheeks, the warm tracks left behind quickly turning cold. I ignored them and looked out the window, watching the orange, red, and yellow leaves swirl to the ground. Russia, America, and Korea were dressed in heavy coats and were raking the leaves into piles, then loading them into a wheelbarrow and dumping them into a compost pile in the woods. I watched Russia push America into one of the piles and then jump in after him. Not less than a second later, Korea followed. All three of their heads popped out of the leaves, two of them smiling, one of them scowling. Push led to shove and pretty soon, they were fighting amongst themselves in the big leaf pile.

I watched them blankly, the tears drying on my face. Canada squirmed in my arms and looked up at me, his face clearly showing that he was uncomfortable. I ignored his pleas to be let go so he could go outside and play as well and hugged him closer to me instead.

"I'm not clingy." I repeated as I tightened my hold on my human teddy bear. "I'm not clingy, no matter what anyone says."

* * *

A few more days had passed and soon I was all healed and ready to move around again. My back was being nice to me again and I could now move wherever I pleased without wincing in pain. The only problem was this now meant I could go back to school…

So I skipped. I called the main office and told them I would be out for a few weeks due to having surgery and internal bleeding…they probably didn't believe it but they told me to get better and good luck with the surgery anyway. And during those few weeks Russia got the cast off of his wrist, so now all he had to do was lug around a giant plastic boot on his foot. Things at home were getting better, and my stress levels were going down. I was slowly getting over my break up with Anthony and it seemed as if the FMBDS gave up trying to kill America.

I became a sort of stay at home mother for my Units. Now that I had a somewhat long break off from school, I could stay home and get things done. The first thing I did was clean up the house. It was now free of rubble and not a speck of dirt was in sight. After that, I repaired the bathroom door upstairs which had been left broken since the first day America was here. I brought the boxes my Units came in to the Transfer Station and threw them out, and now my house was as good as new. I was proud of my work and everyone was happier. Even America, who was usually bitter and didn't like to participate in family events, was warming up and laughing and smiling along with the rest of us.

Russia and I got closer. I still was a little afraid of him, but because I had more time to stay at home and be with my Units, we got over the whole incident and became friends. He was very nice to me, but he still had a sort of childish cruelty that he frequently showed. Although he tried to be as nice as possible, I was still alert whenever he was near. Things between us would never be normal, I guess.

But despite some awkward feelings, my Units and I became closer than ever. We started eating meals together at the dining table that I've neglected since Korea's first night, and I made my Units start doing chores. America of course didn't like it, but Chibi Canada was happy to help out, as well as Korea and Russia. The house was kept clean and in livable conditions, and my Units were overall happier. It was nice to know that they enjoyed living with me. Now I wouldn't feel as though they thought they were living in Hell. But it was a group effort to live with each other. We didn't always agree on things, but we somehow managed to work everything out.

So it was on a chilly October night, Friday to be specific, that my Units and I gathered in my living room after dinner and decided to watch a movie. Russia made pirozhki stuffed with boiled meat, mushrooms, rice, and onions for dinner and it was delicious. Korea wanted to make something with kimchi, America wanted hamburgers (to which Russia flipped out), and Canada wanted poutine. Since I was the head of the household, I chose Russia's cuisine and that was that. It turned out to be really good and even America couldn't deny that. I guess it's true when people say food brings you together.

There was a nice roaring fire in the fireplace and a few candles lit on the coffee table. It was very warm and cozy, and all of my Units were happy and mellow. I sat on the couch with Canada in my arms and Korea snuggling up next to me. America took the gray recliner opposite us and Russia sat in a sand colored chair across from him. He rifled through my collection of movies, frowning at some, grinning at some, and looking like he wanted to set fire to all of the other ones. I laughed and got up from the couch, heading into the kitchen to get a glass of water.

When I passed the calendar on the wall, I glanced at it briefly. I couldn't believe it was October already! Time really does fly…

I saw something scribbled on the 20th and went over to look at it more closely. "Hey guys?" I called. "What day is it?"

"Uh, I think it's the 20th, da-ze." Korea answered. My eyes widened at what was written. "Why?"

_My 25__th__ birthday! _The calendar read. I whistled lowly under my breath.

"It's my birthday today," I said. "Geez, I totally forgot…"

"_C'est votre anniversaire?" _Canada exclaimed. _"Joyeux anniversaire, maman!"_

"No way, it's your birthday? Aw, we never got you presents!" Korea said sadly.

"Holy shit, when did that happen?" America wondered.

"If I had known, I would've gotten you a whole bunch of sunflowers!" Russia announced with a smile.

I laughed and rubbed the back of my neck nervously. "Sorry guys, I totally forgot. And you don't need to get me presents. I'm not a kid anymore, you know."

"How old are you then?" America asked.

"You don't just ask about a woman's age!" Russia scolded. "It's inappropriate!"

I snickered. "Seriously, it's fine. I'm only twenty-five. That's hardly old…"

"Still, I wish we could've gotten you presents, da-ze!" Korea said. He crossed his arms and pouted. "I would've gotten you the best present ever…"

"Нет. I bet she likes sunflowers better."

"_Je veux obtenir d'elle une grande bouteille de sirop d'érable!"_

"Pfft, I doubt she'll like that. I'm gonna get her something with an American flag on it because she likes me best!"

And just like that, all four of my Units launched into a heated argument about what to get me for my birthday. Even Canada was yelling in rapid French, and America was doing the same while also arguing in English with Korea and Russia. I blinked at them and sighed. I appreciated that they wanted to get me something, but really, it was unnecessary. Before the argument could turn physical, I ran back into the living room and literally pushed my way through the crowd of Units, using my arms to separate them.

"Guys, GUYS!" I yelled. They all fell silent. "I'm touched that you want to get me something, really I am, but it's not necessary. Just having you guys here with me and in one piece is a gift in itself."

America blinked and stepped back. "Oh come on, everyone says that. We're getting you a present no matter what you say."

I sighed and sat down, some of the water in my glass splashing onto me. Korea followed me back to my seat quietly and stared at me in anticipation. America, Russia, and Canada went back to their seats as well, and everyone seemed to focus their gaze at me, as if waiting for an answer of some sort. I rolled my eyes and grinned, then turned to the TV.

"Oh, all right," I said finally. My Units let out breaths of relief and cheered. "I'll let you guys take my car sometime this week. But seriously, can we just watch a movie now?"

Russia nodded while holding up a DVD case. "Can we watch _Paranormal Activity?_"

America blanched.

"Sure, pop it right in,"

"Pfft, that movie's stupid. Why don't we watch something else?"

Russia giggled. "Why? Are you scared?"

America's cheeks lit on fire. "N-no! I said nothing of the sort!"

"You sound like England when you say that," I commented. It earned me a sharp glare and a low snarl, a noise I had never heard America make. I guess he really hated England. Stupid Flying Mint Bunny Inc. for programming him that way…

"Then we shall watch _Paranormal Activity," _Russia concluded, seemingly unaware of America's sudden mood change. He got out of his seat and crouched down next to the DVD player lying on the floor, then opened the lid and put the DVD inside. After the screen lit up, he pressed play and the movie began to show its previews. I got up from the couch and went into the kitchen to make popcorn, and on my way back into the kitchen after the bag was in the microwave, I shut off all the lights. America squeaked in fear and buried himself deeper in his chair, causing everyone to snicker. For a seemingly fearless nation, he sure was afraid of ghosts! Honestly, he could act like such a child sometimes. No wonder England can hardly stand him.

The microwave beeped a few minutes later to let me know that the popcorn was ready, so I once again got off the couch and entered the kitchen. I got a large bowl from one of the cupboards and dumped the whole bag in it, then sprinkled it with salt. I figured my Units wouldn't mind. After all, who doesn't like popcorn with a little bit of salt? I brought it back into the living room and sat down just in time for the movie to start. Everyone leaned over and took a few handfuls, then returned to their seats. As the movie started, America shrunk further into his chair and held a pillow up to partially obscure his view. I smiled and turned back to the movie. America, the hero of the world, afraid of ghosts? Who would've thought.

About an hour into the movie, America got so scared that he abandoned his recliner and cowered behind me, peaking at the screen every now and then. Korea was asleep with his head on my lap, Canada was asleep on my chest, and America was on my other side holding my arm in a death grip. Russia was still watching the movie, although he seemed very bored. Eventually he too fell asleep, so it was only America and I awake. Before the movie even ended, I decided to shut it off and make everyone go to bed. It was already 11:30 and it was evident that everyone was tired. I got off the couch and carried Chibi Canada upstairs, then came back down and dragged Korea up to his room. America insisted that he come with me, for fear that the ghosts would get him. I laughed. What a baby. But hey, everyone's afraid of something, right?

Getting Russia to wake up was a challenge. I remember reading in the manual that waking up Russia at anytime was terrible idea, but I was too tired to care. At first I simply poked his side, but he never even flinched. After a few minutes of this I started poking his cheek, and he moved his head to the side in his sleep. I smiled tiredly and continued poking him. He was so cute when he slept…Oh yeah, now that I wasn't dating Anthony anymore, I didn't have to feel guilty every time I thought one of my Units was cute. But it still was kind of awkward thinking of them as attractive when they were like kids to me. Except Russia. He seemed old enough to be boyfriend material.

It was a few minutes later that Russia finally stirred. He blinked slowly and looked at me, then turned and looked at America holding onto my arm tightly. A long yawn escaped his mouth and he rubbed his eyes.

"Russia," I whispered. "It's time to go to bed."

"No, really?" he asked sarcastically. "Wow, I had no idea."

I rolled my eyes and grabbed his arm, trying and failing to pull him to his feet. "Come on. You can sleep in my bed tonight, if you'd like. I'm sure it's much more comfortable than the couch."

"What?" America exclaimed. "Where will I sleep then?"

I blinked. "In your bed?" I suggested, shrugging. "Where else?"

"I was gonna sleep with you!"

"Um, why?"

America squeezed my arm. "The ghosts man. They're gonna get me."

I sighed and pinched the bridge of my nose. I was too tired to deal with this right now. Grabbing Russia's sleeve and giving a little shrug, I started to head up the stairs. "Whatever. I don't care. Just don't hog the blankets. I already have Canada sleeping with me, so…"

America looked horrified. "Ew, you sleep with Canada?"

I smacked him upside the head. "Not that way, sicko!"

Russia snickered. "He would think of that,"

When we made it to my room I immediately went into my bathroom to change. America hopped into my bed and I could hear him arguing with Russia about which side each person would sleep on. I quickly brushed my teeth and gathered my things, then ordered America and Russia to do the same. They took turns doing their business and in a little less than ten minutes, we were all underneath the covers of my bed. I held Canada like a stuffed animal and America was pressed up against my left. Russia was at the far left of the bed while I was on the edge to the right. I reached up and shut of the lamp, then the whole room was plunged into darkness. America whimpered slightly and moved closer to me and wrapped his hands around my torso.

"Uh, do you mind if I…" he trailed off. I smiled lightly (although I was facing away from him) and shook my head.

"Whatever helps you sleep at night,"

America laughed.

I closed my eyes and tried to fall asleep. After just a few minutes, my eyelids felt like lead weights and I welcomed sleep with open arms, but-

"Can we go out shopping this week?"

The question was so sudden I jumped and woke right up. America began apologizing profusely and I turned around to the direction of his voice while rubbing my eyes.

"Why do you want to go shopping all of a sudden?" I asked.

"Because it's almost Halloween!" America replied. "We need costumes, obviously."

"Who says we're going trick or treating?"

"Well, why can't we? At least take Canada or something. He's a little kid."

America had a point there. I hadn't given Halloween much thought at all, now that he mentioned it. I suppose I could take Canada out if he wanted to go, but America said he wanted to go too and then Korea and Russia would probably go...I sighed. I might as well just bring everyone.

"Fine, we'll go this week. I hope you already have a costume in mind."

Somehow in the darkness, I saw America grin. "Sweet!" he exclaimed. He hugged me and sighed in relieve. "Well uh, goodnight."

I smiled, closing my eyes. "Yeah, goodnight."

* * *

As promised, on a weekday after that last Friday, my Units and I went downtown to go shopping for Halloween costumes. Unfortunately, Pittsburg was too small for any major party stores, so we had to drive down to Concord. I realize that there were many other towns that I could stop at, but I figured we could get the best variety at Concord. Plus Manchester wasn't so far away, so we could always try there if we didn't find what we were looking for.

Apparently America wanted to go as a cop, Canada wanted to go as a polar bear, Russia wanted to be a giant sunflower, and Korea wanted to dress up as some K-pop group. I didn't really know what I wanted to be, but if I chose anything, it would be something discreet and not too ostentatious. I found a pair of 80s style glasses in my bedroom (formally my parents' room), so I figured I could just wear those. I didn't really want to dress up anyway, so they made the perfect costume.

We went to the Mall of New Hampshire because we couldn't find anything we liked in Concord. Korea already found what he wanted to wear, America didn't have to worry about his costume because my dad was a former police officer, Russia had yet to find a sunflower that he thought was big enough, and Canada still couldn't find a suitable polar bear outfit. I suggested we go to Babies R Us for a costume for Canada, and then we would come back for Russia's outfit. After we had lunch at the food court, we agreed to our plan and hopped back in my car.

Canada found exactly what he was looking for at Babies R Us, as much as he insisted (in French) that he was not a little kid. He found perhaps the cutest, fluffiest, most diabetes-giving costume ever. Not only would it keep him warm all Halloween night, he looked so cute he was sure to get lots of candy. That he would share, of course. I wanted some candy too!

We returned to the mall and resumed looking for Russia's costume. We passed by dozens of stores selling all kinds of outfits, even ones of sunflowers, but Russia didn't think they were good enough. Not to mention he was ridiculously tall, so it was hard to find the right size for him. After about an hour and a half of searching, Russia was starting to give up. He looked dejected as we walked past store after store, still not finding the perfect sunflower costume. It was bringing everyone down, but I tried to reassure them by saying we wouldn't go home until we found Russia a costume. Nobody took me seriously, though.

As we were walking past a JC Penny, I looked to the store next to it and my heart soared. Right in the window, and I could've sworn we walked past this store at least five times, was probably the biggest sunflower costume I had ever seen. It was just as tall as Russia, if not a tiny bit taller, and it was just the right size sunflower he wanted. Turning to the Units trailing behind me (except for Canada because he was sleeping in his stroller), I smiled and tugged on Russia's sleeve.

"I told you I would find you a costume!" I exclaimed. Russia followed with his eyes to where I was pointing and his face lit up.

"How did we not see this before?" he questioned. I shrugged and pushed him into the store.

"Who knows, but go try it on!"

Russia nodded excitedly and entered the store, the rest of us behind him. He went up to the cashier and asked the person if he could try on the costume in the window, and the poor guy must've peed his pants. He was stuttering and shaking as he was talking to Russia, and I honestly felt bad for the guy. But that didn't stop a few giggles from escaping my lips.

The guy went over to the window and took down the costume, then handed it to Russia. His body was shaking so bad that I thought he was Latvia in disguise. Russia didn't seem to notice and took the costume with a smile. He walked over to the changing rooms and smiled at me, then closed the door.

He was in there for about five minutes when the door suddenly opened and he stood there grinning madly in his sunflower costume. I erupted into exclamations of "Aw, it's _so _cute!" and he blushed. He was absolutely adorable in his costume and I thought I was going to faint from the cuteness. Russia, embarrassed and yet overwhelmingly happy that I thought it was good on him, smiled and went back into the dressing room to take it off. A few minutes later, we were standing at the cash register paying for the costume.

After buying Russia's costume and making a quick stop for ice cream at Dairy Queen's, we all piled back into my car and headed home. It was around six thirty when we finally left, and everyone was tired from running around in search of Halloween costumes all day. Canada was asleep in his car seat in the back, and it looked like Korea was starting to nod off. I looked at them through the rear view mirror and smiled. I felt so much like a mother right now…

When we got home, everyone put their costumes away and we all gathered in the living room to watch TV. I had it tuned in to The Weather Channel because of Hurricane Sandy, but I doubted anything would happen since I was so far up in New Hampshire. The storm would have died down considerably once it made its way up here. Hopefully that would be the case and I wouldn't have anything to worry about.

I was about to get up and go to the kitchen to make some hot chocolate when my Units suddenly stood up and surrounded me on the couch. I looked up at them with confusion and watched with curiosity as America produced a somewhat small box from his coat pocket.

He looked at me nervously as he turned the box over in his hands. "We uh…we got this for you for your birthday…" he said lamely. His cheeks turned a brilliant shade of red and he looked to Russia for help.

Russia lifted his eyebrows expectantly and America gave me the box. Korea and Canada smiled, urging me to open it. I took it with a smile and shook it a bit. The box wasn't heavy, but something slid across the bottom. My curiosity growing, I carefully lifted the lid off the box and looked inside.

The necklace was a simple silver chain. It wasn't too long or too short when I lifted it out of the box. The chain itself was pretty, but it was what hung from it that brought tears to my eyes.

Hanging from the thin chain were miniature versions of the American, Canadian, South Korean, and Russian flags. They glinted in the light and were smooth to the touch. My vision blurred as tears filled my eyes and fell down my cheeks.

America looked shocked. "H-Hey!" he exclaimed. "Don't cry! If you don't like it, we can always- oof!"

I grabbed him into a giant bear hug and started crying into his shoulder while shaking my head. "No, no!" I said. "It's beautiful. It's…I don't even know what to say," I released him and hugged Russia next, then Korea, then Canada. I also kissed them all on the cheek, much to some of their embarrassment. When I made my rounds, I wiped my eyes and grinned. "How did you guys get this?"

"Well, we couldn't use your money," Russia said. Korea nodded in agreement.

"It defeats the purpose of the present,"

"So we got the money ourselves."

I furrowed my eyebrows. "How?"

"_Nous avons travaillé pour l'argent!" _Canada replied happily.

America scratched the back of his head. "Well, we didn't actually _work _for the money, per se…"

"So what did you do?"

"We sorta…begged…for it?"

I blinked. "Seriously?"

Korea shook his hands in front of him. "We didn't beg for it," he said hastily. "We used our…various talents to get the money."

My jaws dropped in horror. "You didn't-"

"NO!" Russia yelled. "Nothing like that at all! We noticed that your school was having a basketball game so we dropped by to help out with the concession stand. We convinced them to give us a very small percentage of the earnings. We also performed at halftime and got money that way." Russia cringed at that and shot America an accusing glance.

"It got us the money we needed!" America reasoned. "It was a good idea, so don't give me that look!"

"It was embarrassing," Russia shot back. He shivered. "I will never do something like that again." His eyes widened and he looked at me. "Not unless it's for Lily, of course," he added quickly.

I smiled, ignoring America's remarks of "Kiss up," and Russia's reply of "You would've done the same thing." I played with the necklace in my hands and hugged all of my Units again. "I don't know if I can thank you enough. This is…this is amazing."

Canada giggled happily. _"Puis-je le mettre sur pour vous?" _he asked. I looked at America.

"He wants to know if he can put the necklace on for you."

"Oh, sure!" I said. I gave the necklace to Canada and he stood on the couch behind me. He fiddled with the chain for a few moments until I heard a click and I assumed it was fastened.

"_J'ai fini!" _he said. He crawled onto my lap and turned the necklace around so the flags were at the front. I brought a hand up and felt them, then smiled.

"Thank you, all of you. This is the best birthday present ever!"

"_De rien!"_

"You're welcome!"

"Пожалуйста!"

"천만네요!"

After that, we spent the rest of the night huddled together on the couch watching The Weather Channel together.

* * *

"America, are you ready?"

"Yeah, hold on a second!"

It was Wednesday evening, six thirty to be exact. I stood in front of the mirror in my room looking at myself with my glasses on. America was in his room putting on my dad's old policeman uniform, Canada was waiting downstairs in his polar bear outfit, Russia was dressed and ready to go, and Korea was gelling his hair in the bathroom. We were all ready to go trick-or-treating, but we just had to wait for America to hurry up and finish.

Aside from the loss of power from Hurricane Sandy, no other major damage was caused. The only thing that happened at my house was a few tree branches coming down. My whole town lost power since we all had the same electricity provider, but Halloween would still go on. We had a town meeting at the town hall (the mayor called us on our cell phones) and we all decided to put lamps or lit candles on our front porches to let people know that we were home and had candy. I totally forgot to buy candy, and I was bringing my Units with me anyway, so I didn't bother to put out a candle or battery operated lamp. Nobody came down my driveway anyway because it was so long.

America hurried out of his room and posed for me in the hallway, and grin on his face. "So, how do I look?"

I laughed and started heading downstairs. "Like a cop," I replied. America rolled his eyes and went into the bathroom across the hall to get Korea.

"Are we ready to go now?" Russia asked. He looked so amazing in his sunflower costume that he even rivaled Chibi Canada in cuteness. Canada looked absolutely adorable in his polar bear outfit, so I didn't know which one looked cuter.

America and Korea came pounding down the stairs and I looked up. Korea was dressed as some K-pop group that I didn't know, but he looked like a real punk! His hair stuck up in spikes, but his curl was still there. He wore leather pants and a leather jacket with studs, and had a pair biker gloves on. My dad's policeman uniform fit America surprisingly well, and the only problem he had with it was getting his feet into the shoes. For a sixteen year old, he had pretty large feet. He had bigger feet than my dad at the time!

"Are we all ready to go?" I asked. Everyone nodded. "Do you have your pillowcases?" More nods. "Good. Then let's go!"

We got all of the houses on my street first. Most of the houses just had a bowl on the front steps with a note that said, "Please take one". Of course nobody listened to what the note said, so I allowed my Units to take two and only two. When I caught America trying to take four, I smacked him upside the head and took the two candy bars for myself. America soon learned to take his fair share.

The streets surrounding my street were next. We went up Lancaster and hit all of the houses there, then back down and went across to Newcastle Street. This street was full of huge and expensive homes, and one of the houses always gave away two pound candy bars or boxes of Nerds and similar kinds of candy. We went there and America got a giant box of Nerds, Canada got a giant bar of Hershey's chocolate, Korea got a box of Milk Duds, and Russia got a huge Milky Way bar. At every house we went to I insisted that I didn't need any candy, but my Units convinced me otherwise or the people there would force me to take some. They all thought I had surgery too, so they said to take it because I deserved it. I felt kind of bad lying, but come on, I was getting candy! It's kind of hard to pass up free candy.

After we swept through those streets, we moved on to the older part of the neighborhood. Here we were allowed to take as much candy as we liked because the people living here knew the kids around town wouldn't bother walking this far to get candy. By the time we left that street, our pillowcases were halfway filled and getting heavy. I started carrying Canada's pillowcase because it was getting too heavy for him, and we continued on our quest for candy.

It was about nine thirty when I decided to call it quits. Everyone was tired and our feet were hurting, so I decided we should turn around and head back home. On our way there, we passed a dark street that we didn't notice before. There was a single faint light shining a little ways down the street, and America noticed this and pointed.

"Hey, can we go down there?" he asked. He pointed down the street and we all turned to look.

I scratched my head. "I don't know. Are you up for it? Canada's falling asleep and I didn't bring his stroller. Are your feet still sore?"

America shrugged. "Who cares? Come on, can we? You can stay here if you want to."

"And leave you by yourself? Yeah no." I grabbed Canada's hand and the rest of us started to walk down the street. Korea looked around fearfully and moved closer to me, clinging onto my free arm.

"I don't like this, da-ze…" he said. "It looks really creepy,"

America scoffed. "You guys are a bunch of babies. It's Halloween! It's _supposed _to be creepy. Come on, we're here!"

We walked up to the door and America rang the doorbell. A cute little jingle sounded and we could hear light footsteps coming down the hall. A few seconds later, the door opened and a woman with short brown hair appeared and smiled.

"Trick or treat!" we all said. Canada said it in French even though he heard it in English a dozen times. Little dude needed to start speaking English!

The woman giggled and held out a plastic pumpkin bowl. Russia, Korea, and Canada reached forward before America could and grabbed a piece of candy. When America pushed his way forward and reached into the bowl, he was surprised to see it empty.

"Oh!" the woman exclaimed. "I'm sorry. Let me go get you another piece. Any preference?"

America blushed and looked away. "Uh, no. Anything is fine, thank you!"

The woman smiled and went back inside. It was only a few moments before she came back with a chocolate bar in her hands. She opened the door and handed it to America, then took the candle off of her porch.

"So sorry about that. Happy Halloween!" she said before blowing out the candle and plunging the area into darkness.

I grabbed Canada's hand again and this time hoisted him up on my shoulders. "Wrap your arms around my neck to keep yourself steady, but don't choke me." I said. America translated for me and soon we were on our way back home.

After a few minutes of walking silently, America reached into his bag and pulled out the chocolate bar the woman had given him. "Can I eat this now?" he asked. "I know you said to wait until we got home, but I'm getting hungry…"

Korea, Russia, and Canada nodded in agreement and took out their pieces of candy. I agreed and handed Canada his, and then they started taking the candy out of their wrappers. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw America take a big bite of his chocolate bar. Since I was getting hungry too, I figured there was no harm in eating just one piece of candy. Reaching into my pillowcase, I took out a box of Nerds and began to munch on them happily.

Several minutes passed and I realized that America was being unnaturally quiet. Usually he was the one doing the most talking, so it was weird to not hear his voice. I turned around and saw him holding his stomach, a pained look on his face.

"America, are you okay?" I asked. I stopped and waited for him to catch up, then put a gentle hand on his arm. He was uncoordinated and wobbly, so I grabbed both of his arms to steady him.

"My stomach feels weird," he said quietly. He had a distant look in his eyes and he stumbled forward a bit. "Dizzy…"

Before I could catch him, America collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

* * *

**AN: Haha, you thought the FMBDS was gone? THINK AGAIN! That's right! They're back bitches!**

**EHEM. Sorry. I'm just so happy I have electricity back. I was so miserable without it! ;_;**

**Last Unit will be introduced next chapter. But fear not! This story will not be ending anytime soon. I still have a lot planned for it. **

**On that note, you guys are lucky I survived! Just kidding, but I'm glad nothing major happened to my house except for a few down trees and losing electricity. If any of you were impacted by Hurricane Sandy as well, I wish you a speedy recovery!**

**Mei-Ling out. Peace! :3**


	10. Chapter 10: Back To The Hospital!

**AN: I'm so sorry I didn't get this out yesterday. I tried to, but I realized there was no way I'd be able to get it out in time. So yeah. Sorry!**

**Oh hey, have any of you read this story before? It's about how England has nerve damage or something because of the Roman Invasion and he's always trembling or twitching or something. I remember reading it a long time ago and I wanted to find it again, but no matter what I do, I can't! If any of you know about it, please PM or something. Thanks!**

**Also, I apologize if there are many grammatical errors in here or if the chapter in general seems rushed. It's because I rushed to finish it :P**

**Happy Thanksgiving!**

* * *

The car was quiet, save for the soft hum of the engine as we sped down the highway towards the hospital.

I gripped the steering wheel so tight my knuckles were white. The only thing I saw was the steady rise of the needle on my speedometer. 60, 70, 80, 90 miles per hour. When I reached 100 in my pathetic excuse for a car Russia put his hand over mine gently and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "He'll be fine," he said. "He's been through worse."

A few minutes of silence passed and my anxiety was growing so much that I had to look behind me. "How's he doing?" I asked. My voice trembled, but I didn't care. I glanced at my rear view mirror and cringed, my heart beating faster and faster as I saw the state America was in.

He was lying across the backseat, his head in Korea's lap and his feet in Canada's. His face was deathly pale and he was quiet and still. His fingers held Korea's hanbok in a crushing grip. America was unconscious but aware of his pain…I wasn't sure how that worked but it broke my heart to see him suffer so much. I looked away quickly before I got too emotional and focused my gaze back on the road.

"I can't tell if he's getting worse or staying the same," Korea said sadly. He rubbed circles into America's back and held onto the hand gripping his hanbok. "I hope we get there in time, da-ze…"

"We will," I said firmly. "We only have thirty or so miles until we get to Concord."

"Will they even be open?"

I hardened my gaze. "They have to be. They were the last time we came, so they should be now."

"I think you should slow down," Russia said worriedly. He squeezed my hand again and leaned over to look at the speedometer. "You're going way too fast."

"If I don't hurry then America could die!"

"What if we get into an accident? Then we're all going to be hurt."

I looked at him for a split second before easing of the gas and letting the car roll off its momentum. I sighed and ran a trembling hand through my hair, then took out my cell phone and looked at the time. It was 12:30 in the morning and I had been driving for three hours straight. Of course it wasn't anything new; I had done it just a couple of months ago, or maybe it was sooner. All sense of time was thrown out of the window for me.

I yawned and rubbed my eyes with one hand. Maybe I should stop at Dunkin' Donuts for a coffee or something…no! If I did, then America might die! How could I let him die because I was selfish and wanted a coffee?

Sitting up straight in my seat, I forced my eyes open and stepped on the gas, letting the speed rise to sixty-five, but no matter what I did to keep myself awake, I could still feel my eyes drooping. I turned to Russia and glanced at him quickly. If he could beat me up with a water pipe, then surely…

"Hey Russia, can you do me a favor?" I asked. Russia turned to me and removed his hand from above my own, blushing.

"Uh, sure. What do you need?"

I yawned again and rolled my eyes. Stupid sleepiness. "I want you to slap me,"

The look on Russia's face was priceless but I was too tired to put in the effort to laugh. He looked at me completely stunned and with his mouth hanging open. A few moments of silence passed before he finally found his voice again and raised his eyebrows in disbelief of what he just heard.

"Any reason why you want me to do that?"

"So I can stay awake. Duh,"

Russia looked at me as if I was crazy and shook his head, putting his hands behind his back. "There's no way I'm slapping you," he said, and shuddered. "Not after what happened…"

I sighed and yawned again, struggling to keep my eyes open. "Look, I'm not going to hold anything against you. I figured you would do it because America's passed out, Korea's to much of a wimp-"

"Hey!"

"Canada wouldn't understand me-"

"_J'ai entendu mon nom," _

"-and if you could beat me almost senseless with your pipe, then I'm sure you'll have no trouble slapping my face."

Russia cringed and looked away. "Please don't say it like that. You're making me feel bad."

"Russia, please." I looked at him through tired eyes and tried to look as innocent as possible. "Please do this for me."

"Why don't we just switch and I drive the rest of the way?" he suggesting through a yawn. I rolled my eyes and raised my eyebrows.

"You're just as tired as I am. Come on, just do it already!"

"Are you sure?"

"If I wasn't, I would be asking you."

Russia sighed. "A-Alright…Uh, which side first?"

"The side you're facing."

"Okay," Russia shook his head as he raised his hand. " I can't believe I'm doing this…Are you ready?"

I glared at the road ahead of me. "Don't ask that! Just go!"

"Okay…"

I waited for less than a second before Russia's hand made contact with my face. My head moved slightly to the side, and immediately it began to tingle and burn. Tears welled up in the corners of my eyes but I blinked them away. I sat up straight and rubbed my cheek. Well that certainly woke me up! I blinked a few times and looked at the road. Yup, I definitely felt awake now. Now all I had to do was get to the hospital…

"I can't believe you made me do that," Russia said incredulously. He tapped my shoulder and I turned to look at him. "Are you okay?"

"Just peachy!" I replied, and I truly meant it. Russia shook his head and rested it against the windowsill, looking out at the night sky.

"You'll get America there, right?"

I blinked and looked over at him. "Of course I will!" I responded with a smile. "And besides, this is America! He wouldn't die that easily!"

Russia chuckled softly. "Yeah…" he yawned and closed his eyes. "I guess…"

I smiled lightly and looked in the rearview mirror. Korea was asleep although he was still holding America's hand. Canada was asleep in his car seat as well. My eyes travelled down to America and my chest tightened when I saw the sweat sliding down his neck. I was almost there. It was only another five miles or so to the hospital. I was almost there. America was not going to die.

Not unless I died first.

* * *

When we reached the hospital, I noted with delight that the sign outside was shining brightly and that the same lady from before was sitting behind the desk in the entrance. It was like a light from heaven above, that fluorescent red light from the sign above the automatic glass doors. I parked my car and ripped the keys out of the slot, then threw open my door and practically took the door off of Korea's side of the car. Russia was right behind me to hold America in his arms, and Korea scrambled out after America's weight was off of his legs. He stretched his arms above his head and yawned while I unbuckled a sleeping Chibi Canada from his car seat and held him to my chest. When everyone was out of the car and ready to go, we walked briskly towards the entrance and approached the secretary without hesitation.

She looked up when she heard our hurried footsteps and smiled. When she saw America, however, her smile faltered and she looked at me with pity clear on her face. I ground my teeth together and dug my nails into my palms. I didn't need pity right now. In fact, it was the _last_ thing I needed. What I really needed was for someone to hurry and help America before he died, not someone's condolences.

The woman didn't seem to understand that I could care less about pity at the moment, though. She looked at me sorrowfully and picked up her phone, pressing a button and speaking into it. "Dr. Zimmerman, you're needed in the lobby. I repeat, Dr. Zimmerman, you are needed in the lobby. Thank you." Her voice echoed throughout the halls and she turned back to her computer, a smile plastered on her face. "Please, have a seat in the waiting area." She pointed to the small area of chairs we waited in before without looking up. "Dr. Zimmerman will be here shortly."

"…Thanks," I said. I sat down and looked up at the ceiling while wringing my hands in my lap nervously. That stupid white ceiling…why did hospitals have to be so bland? It made it seem like there was no hope…

My head perked up when I heard the squeak of shoes on the shiny tile floor. Rounding the corner of the hall towards the Emergency Room was Dr. Zimmerman; his gray hair slicked back and worried wrinkles etched in his forehead. He took one look at me and then at Russia, then walked over and took America in his arms. He motioned with his head for me to follow and I sprung out of my seat.

I handed Canada to Korea and tugged on the bottom of my shirt absentmindedly. "You watch him for me, okay? If he gets hungry, go to the cafeteria and find some food or something." I took out a few ten-dollar bills and handed them to Russia, then nodded stiffly and walked down the hall to who-knows-where.

"They're persistent aren't they?" he asked quietly, not looking at me. "The FMBDS, I mean."

I sighed and ran a hand through my hair. "Yeah. I think they poisoned him this time."

"You can tell me when we get to the room. Right now this kid needs an IV and his vitals checked."

"Are we going to the emergency room?"

Dr. Zimmerman shook his head. "Intensive Care Unit. If you think it's poisoning, then he needs hemofiltration."

"Hemo-what?"

He chuckled and we turned down another hall. "I'll explain everything later."

We came to a set of double doors with a sign over it that read "Intensive Care Unit" in big black letters. I opened the door for Dr. Zimmerman and the sound of machines beeping immediately reached my ears. I cringed and followed the doctor to an empty room at the end of the hall. I opened the door and Dr. Zimmerman moved in swiftly and put America down on the bed, then flipped the light switch, effectively blinding me for a few moments.

When I finally got used to the light, I saw dozens of machines all over the place. There must have been a few miles of wire in the room alone; that stuff was everywhere! Dr. Zimmerman pressed something and all of the machines came to life at once, their monitors lighting up and the soft hum of their engines filling the room. A heart monitor flat-lined since it wasn't attached to anything, and he quickly ripped open America's shirt and stuck something on his chest. It took less than a second before the monitor started to beep at a constant rate, showing America's heartbeat as little lines on the screen.

I sat down in a small chair next to America's bed and sighed, running a hand through my hair. I looked on with worry as Dr. Zimmerman put a stethoscope to America's chest. While he listened, he stuck a thermometer under America's tongue and a pulse oximetry on one of his pointer fingers. After a few minutes of silence, he grabbed his clipboard and wrote something down, checked the thermometer, scribbled something, then checked the pulse oximetry and wrote something down again. He continued checking America's vitals for a few minutes, and when he was finally done, he sat down in a chair with a sigh and looked at his clipboard grimly.

"You believe he was poisoned, correct?" he asked. I straightened in my seat and nodded. "Tell me what happened."

I told him all about trick or treating just a few hours ago and how America collapsed after eating a piece of candy that woman had given him. While I recalled the events, Dr. Zimmerman looked at his clipboard and nodded whenever I said something that must have matched his results. After a few minutes of explaining, Dr. Zimmerman scratched his head and sighed.

"Well," he said. "His oxygen levels are low. I'll have to do a blood test to check if he was really poisoned or not. It's probably very likely that the woman who gave him the candy was working for the FMBDS and put something in it before giving it to him. Poisoning seems like the most probable solution, but we can't rule out other things, like maybe he ate something earlier in the day that didn't effect him until it had time to settle in his stomach."

"I still think he was poisoned." I said stubbornly. I picked at the skin on my lips absentmindedly and looked over to America. "Say he really was poisoned." I said. "What would you do then?"

"Hemofiltration."

"Hemo-what?"

"It's a process in which blood is filtered of harmful substances and puts a replacement fluid back in. It takes anywhere from twelve to twenty-four hours and goes on for days."

"_Days?" _ I exclaimed. "You mean I'll have to leave him here?"

"Quite possibly."

"Well how long does a blood test take?"

"Since we're in a hospital rather than a clinic, I could do the blood work right now and have the results back to you in a matter of hours."

I nodded and got up from my chair. "Good. Could you also remove the GPS chips in my other Units while I'm here?"

Dr. Zimmerman checked his watch and glanced over his clipboard again. Readjusting his glasses, he smiled and stood in the doorway to America's room. "I don't see why not," he said. "Just bring them down to America's room and I'll take them down to the OR after I finish the blood work. It doesn't take that long; all I have to do is make a small incision on their shoulder and pull the chip out with tweezers. After that, all I have to do it patch 'em up and they're good to go."

I smiled and walked out of the room. "Great! Well, I'll be back in a few," Giving him a little wave and glancing once more at America's unconscious form on the bed, I turned around and went back the way I came and eventually made it back to the front lobby.

As soon as I rounded the corner Korea ran right into me and demanded answers about what happened. I told him all about it as I led them back down the hallways to America's room, as well as how I wanted their chips to be removed. Canada heard the word "chip" and "removed" (apparently he could understand those words but everything else I ever said made no sense) and immediately began to cry. Confused, I picked him up and cuddled him against my chest, but he just started to scream and tried to wiggle out of my grasp.

"Canada, clam down!" I yelled over his ear-shattering screams. "What's gotten into you?"

"_Ne coupez pas __m'ouvrir__!" _he screeched. _"NE COUPEZ PAS M'OUVRIR!"_

"What's he yelling about?" I shouted to Korea. He looked as if he wanted to say something, but decided against it and tried comforting Canada, but said Unit was having none of it. He managed to slip out of my arms and fell to the floor, running back to the lobby. I told Korea and Russia to go on ahead down the hall without me, and I ran back to the lobby, past the receptionist as she pointed to the glass doors that were just shutting, and then out into the pitch-black parking lot.

Vaguely, I saw the outline of my car and went over to it. I leaned against it and took a moment to catch my breath as I scanned the parking lot for Canada. Considering I could barely see past my hand and the sign above the glass doors had been shut off, I couldn't find Canada anywhere. Panicking, I called out into the darkness and held my breath as I waited for any kind of response.

"Canada? Little dude, where are you? Come on, everything's fine. I'm not going to hurt you, I promise!"

There was no response.

My heart beating faster, I ran out to the entrance of the hospital and started walking up and down the sidewalk, looking into the bushes to see if I could find any trace of Canada. "Canada, come out here! Don't you dare run away from me!" I yelled. "Where are you? Come on, this isn't funny…"

As I continued to search, I thought I heard a small rustle coming from the bushes ahead of me. I stopped moving, even stopped breathing, and strained my ears to listen. All of a sudden, something small dashed out of the bushes and began to run up the sidewalk. It passed under an overhanging light and I could clearly see the polar bear outfit the figure wore.

"Canada!" I yelled. The chibi Unit looked back and his eyes widened in fear. He ran faster but since I was bigger and had longer legs, I was able to catch up with him easily. I extended my arm and reached for the hood on his costume. Just as I was about to close my hand around the soft fabric, I tripped over something and hit my forehead on the concrete. It took all of my willpower not to scream in pain, and I closed my eyes tight and clenched my teeth together.

As I laid on the cold concrete clutching my throbbing head, I heard Canada's footsteps fading away. Realizing that I was letting him get away, I leapt up from the sidewalk despite the overwhelming pain and started to chase after him, but it was too late. I saw him take a sharp right into the woods and before I knew it, he was gone from sight. Completely vanished.

I stood under the soft light of the street lamp, blood trickling down the sides of my face and my mouth hanging open as if a door was hanging on its hinges. It took a few seconds for everything to sink in, but once it did, I realized that Canada had just run away and I had no idea where he went or how to get him back.

The tears began to cascade down my cheeks before I had the time to wipe them away. Staggering over to the metal light pole, I sat down with my back against it and shivered as the cold seeped through my shirt and onto my skin. I buried my face in my hands and just sat there crying, thankful that no one was out at this time of night to see me. A bone-chilling breeze swept through and gave me goose bumps, but I didn't even care. What did it matter when I just lost one of my Units?

"What am I supposed to do?" I whispered to myself. I sniffled and wiped my nose on my sleeve, then wiped my eyes with my hands. "First America gets poisoned, now Canada runs away…why is this happening to me? What did I do wrong?"

I sat there for another few minutes before I decided to go back to the hospital. If I could, I would stay out all night and search for Canada, but it was simply getting too cold and I was too tired and worn out, not to mention I needed to get my forehead looked at now. Dragging my feet, I walked slowly up the hospital driveway and through the sliding glass doors into the front lobby. The receptionist wasn't there and for that I was thankful. I didn't need her seeing me like this.

As I rounded the corner, I heard yelling and hurried footsteps. Quickening my own pace, I reached America's room just in time to see Dr. Zimmerman whack Russia across the head with a wooden baseball bat. An unconscious Korea was on the floor at the foot of America's bed, and I could already see a big red bump swelling on his head. I looked up in horror at Dr. Zimmerman as he admired his handiwork.

"Dr. Zimmerman!" I screeched. Startled, he jumped and looked at me with wide eyes, then put the bat down on America's bed slowly. "What do you think you're doing?!"

"Hear me out for a second!" he pleaded as he held his hands in front of him in defense. "I can explain!"

"Explain _what? _You just knocked two of my Units unconscious!"

"You told them I was going to take their chips out, didn't you?" he retorted.

I stopped and looked at him warily. "Yeah…so what?"

Dr. Zimmerman sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Oh dear…" he muttered. He gestured towards his bat and then to Russia and Korea on the floor. "You're not supposed to do that!"

"Well why not?" I inquired. "Is there some kind of list of things that I can't say to my Units?"

"Well, not really, but if there's one thing you should never say to your Unit it's that you'll get their chip removed!" When I gave him a confused look he sighed and continued. "Units are programmed to react harshly to the statement that their tracking chip will be removed. They try to run away at all costs. They were programmed this way so Flying Mint Bunny Inc. could always keep an eye on them and take them back whenever they thought the company was in danger."

I swear my heart almost stopped. "You mean…I was the one who caused Canada to run away?"

"…Canada's gone?"

More tears started to well up in my eyes. "I didn't know that would happen! How was I supposed to when I was never told?"

Dr. Zimmerman shook his head and looked at me with pity. When he saw the scrape on my forehead, he cringed and moved to examine it. I backed away a bit, but he kept advancing. He took a hold of my chin gently and moved my head under the light to look at the wound more closely.

"Hmm," he hummed. "Just a small scrape. I'll put some disinfectant on it and bandage it up, then you're all set to go."

I stepped away from him and looked at the two unconscious Units on the floor, then to America on the bed. "Did you do his blood work yet?"

Dr. Zimmerman nodded as he got out a bottle of rubbing alcohol. "Yup. You're suspicions were correct. He was poisoned with methanol."

"Isn't that like alcohol but …not?"

"Kind of. We'll have to keep him here for awhile so he can be treated. We'll call you and update you every day or whenever something major happens, if you'd like."

I nodded. "When are you going to remove Korea and Russia's chips?"

I hissed in pain as the doctor dabbed a cloth soaked in rubbing alcohol on my forehead. After it dried, he wrapped my head in two layers of thin gauze and picked up a scalpel.

"Uh, aren't you going to the OR to do that?"

Dr. Zimmerman shook his head and got another roll of gauze, a pair of tweezers, are knelt down beside Korea and pushed up his sleeve. "Don't have time. They'll wake up soon."

"What happens after you take the chip out and they wake up? Will they still try to run away?"

"America didn't, so they won't either. Once the process is over," He made an incision and blood started to ooze out slowly. "they don't care anymore. It's only mentioning that you're going to remove it that makes them want to run away."

Dr. Zimmerman took his tweezers and went into the incision he just made, searching around for the GPS chip. When he found it, he grabbed hold of it and pulled it out slowly, tossing it into a little cup he had on the side. He took some gauze and cleaned up the area, then applied disinfectant cream to the area and wrapped the cut in more gauze. He cleaned off his instruments and then when over to Russia, repeating the process.

As soon as Dr. Zimmerman removed the tracking chip in Russia's arm, Russia's eyes flew open. He groaned and lifted his arm up to rub his head. Dr. Zimmerman quickly wiped down the area where he made his incision, hastily slapped on some disinfectant cream, and bandaged it up before leaping to his feet and dashing out of the room.

I blinked as I watched Dr. Zimmerman run away, but as fast as it had come, the randomness was gone. I knelt down beside Russia and put a hand on his shoulder to push him back down. He looked up at me curiously and then furrowed his eyebrows when he saw the gauze wrapped around my head.

"What-" he started to say, but the sound of Korea groaning in pain interrupted him. We both looked next to us to see Korea supporting himself on one elbow while rubbing his head and looking curiously at the gauze on his left shoulder.

"Korea!" I exclaimed. He jumped, shocked, and looked at me with wide eyes before smiling. "Are you okay? How are you feeling?"

"Oh just fine, da-ze." He said as he rolled his eyes. "I'm totally fine after I just got my head bashed in with a baseball bat."

"Glad you feel that way," I said. I smiled but it quickly fell when I realized Canada was not here.

Russia seemed to pick up on this for he looked at me curiously as he struggled to sit up. "Where's Canada?"

I didn't look at him. Instead, I focused my gaze on my lap. "I…"

"Yeah, where is he, da-ze? He's not in here and usually he's always clinging onto you."

"He…he's gone…"

Korea's eyes widened. "He's _gone? _What happened?"

I swallowed hard and blinked back more tears. "He ran away, remember? He was trying to run away when I said his chip was going to be removed."

"…Oh," Korea said quietly. "About that…I was about to tell you, but then Canada ran and you took off…and then that doctor came and-"

"It's not your fault." I said. I got up from the floor and sat down in the chair next to America's bed, looking at his unconscious form wistfully. "I came here with four of you, but now I'm leaving with two…"

"You're leaving America here?" Russia asked.

I nodded. "He was poisoned, so he needs treatment. There's nothing I can do for him or for Canada now. I guess we'll just have to go home and wait and see what happens."

"So that's it?" Korea said angrily. "You're not even going to bother with looking for Canada?"

I looked at Korea with wide eyes. He didn't know anything about what happened! He was laying on the floor unconscious when I was outside looking for Canada! "I already tried!" I snapped. "I saw him disappear into the forest. Where am I supposed to start now? I have no idea where he went. And don't you _dare _assume that I don't care! He was the first Unit I got, so of course I care! I care about all of you, and don't you forget that!"

The room fell silent. I huffed and crossed my arms, then turned to look at America. Korea and Russia exchanged glances and Russia coughed awkwardly.

"Uh, we're all very tired." He said. "Why don't we go home? Like Lily said, there's nothing more to be done,"

"Agreed." I said. I got up from my seat and walked out of the room, stealing one last glance at America. He looked so peaceful like that…without a care in the world. I wonder if he would be happier if he hadn't been shipped to my house, but somebody else's.

That's what I thought about the whole ride home. That and how Canada was alone somewhere in the woods all the way down in Concord. It was below freezing outside and all he had on was his fuzzy polar bear outfit. It could only keep him warm for so long...

More tears trickled down my cheeks.

I am such a terrible mother.

* * *

It was Thanksgiving day.

I hadn't heard anything about Canada for three weeks. For all I knew, he could've been dead. Or someone could have kidnapped him, or killed him, or sold him off into slavery or something horrible like that.

Thoughts like those had been running through my head ever since he first ran off. They had plagued my dreams and every moment I was awake, so I never got any sleep. Add the fact that I still hadn't gotten a turkey for Thanksgiving and I was a train wreck.

I was in the Market Basket checkout line paying for said turkey when I thought I saw Canada running down the aisle of one of the checkout counters. When I did a double take, I realized it was just a toddler wearing a shirt with a giant panda face on it. The shirt also had a hood with little panda ears on it, so it was only natural I thought it was Canada. I sighed and took my groceries, then exited the store and headed to my car. Canada was always on my mind…I wonder where he is right now. Is he hungry? Is he cold? Is he in danger? What's happening to him?

I shook those thoughts from my head and started up the car. On the ride home, my thoughts drifted instead from Canada to America. How was he doing? I was surprised his treatment would take three weeks to finish, but Dr. Zimmerman said he didn't want America doing hemofiltration all day every day, so I guess that was why it was taking so long. But still…was he actually okay? Maybe the dosage of poison was more than we initially thought. Maybe he was dead, but Dr. Zimmerman didn't have the heart to tell me. Or maybe he was on his way home right now.

When I got home, I wasn't all that surprised to see a giant box on my front porch. I parked my car in the garage and went into the house first, put away all of my groceries, then went back to the front door and pushed the box into the house. Korea came around a corner and looked at the box with disinterest, then went back the way he came. Ever since coming home, everyone was somber and we rarely talked to one another. It was quiet at home without America or Canada here. It had everyone feeling depressed, and we never really did anything to fix it. We were all just silently waiting for news about the both of them.

Russia came down from the office that I hadn't been in for who-knows-how long and walked right past the box, not even sparing it a glance. "Who is it?" he asked. I took the manual off the top of the box.

"England," I said. I suddenly remembered that my America Unit hated him with a passion and face palmed. "Crap…"

"You gonna open it?"

"Might as well." I sighed and opened the manual, flipping to the "Removal" section.

_**Removal of your ARTHUR KIRKLAND Unit from Packaging**_

_Awakening your ARTHUR KIRKLAND unit is generally quite simple, but if he was jostled during shipment it could be harder. We have provided this list of failsafe ways to wake your unit, jostled or not, which will not result in you missing any body parts at the end. Your unit tends to make a lot more assumptions than he should, which might result in some terrifying moments while getting him up, but don't worry - he won't really hurt you, unless you're a FRANCIS BONNEFOIS unit._

_1. Set a plate of hamburgers next to the box, preferably with a fan to force the aroma towards the box with. Momentarily, your unit will shout at you to get the food out of his face before kicking his way out of the box unless you move the food within two seconds. It is advised to stand a few metres away to avoid being stabbed with bits of the box. Once he realizes that you are not an ALFRED F. JONES unit, he will apologize for his "ghastly behavior" and introduce himself, and you are free to reprogram him then._

_2. Play either "Saving Grace" or "The Star-Spangled Banner" as loudly as you can. If you play the first song, your unit will hum or sing to it in his box and it is safe to remove the lid; if you play the second, your unit will shout at you to "turn that damn racket down" and again claw his way out of the box if you do not stop the music. Again, once he notes that you are not in fact an ALFRED F. JONES, he will apologize and be perfectly cordial towards you, allowing you to reprogram him._

_3. Clink two glass alcohol bottles - preferably scotch or whiskey - together, in earshot of the box, but not too close lest you be hit by flying bits of wood as your unit scrambles for them. As soon as ARTHUR KIRKLAND has gotten out of the box, he will thank you for the alcohol and chug it; while he does so, you can reprogram him._

_4. Cook an aromatic Spanish or French dish and set it down near the box. Your unit will laugh, start to punch his way through the box and ask in an evil tone whether you want to get your ass kicked again. When he sees that you are neither an ANTONIO FERNANDEZ CARRIEDO nor FRANCIS BONNEFOIS unit, he will ask you to excuse his behavior._

_5. If you are certain that shipping went perfectly, you can just open the box and hope he doesn't reach out and try to kill you for waking him up incorrectly._

When I didn't see any that I cared for, I simply put the manual down and started undoing the latches on the top of the box. I was too tired to do anything fancy, plus I had to cook Thanksgiving dinner since it was nearing lunch-time. I had bought a very small turkey, so hopefully it wouldn't take too long to cook. I didn't think I had the energy or determination to do it anyway.

When the latches were all undone, I lifted off the cover and opened one of the side doors. I was immediately met with startlingly green eyes. "Oh good, you're already awake." Had I not been in the situation I was in, I probably would've been a lot shyer and awkward. Right now, I simply didn't have the energy to care. "Make yourself at home or whatever works for you. I'm starting dinner now."

England furrowed his massive eyebrows in confusion and stepped out of the box warily. "Aren't you some crazy fan girl that's going to rape me or something?"

I chuckled. "Nope. Not unless you want me to."

England's eyes widened. "A-Ah, no thank you!" He stood in the foyer awkwardly, squirming under Russia's bored gaze. "Uh, can I help you with dinner?"

"No, that's fine. Make yourself at home, really." I said. I gave him a small, forced smile and entered the kitchen, turning on the oven and taking the turkey out of its package. "Korea, do you mind setting the table?"

Korea came over without a word and began to get the nice plates and silverware out of the china cabinet. As he set the table, Russia came over and started peeling potatoes. We all worked together silently and I could tell it was really bothering England. He was still standing where I left him, looking around at the house and trying to keep himself occupied. I sighed and put the turkey in the oven, then motioned for England to come in the kitchen.

"Here, meet the other Units." I said. Korea and Russia gave him fake smiles, then returned to their work.

"Are these the only Units you have?" he asked.

My heart started beating fast. "There were more…"

England sweat-dropped. "What happened to them?"

Nobody answered that question.

* * *

Thanksgiving dinner was really, _really _awkward.

We all sat in silence, picking at our meals. Nobody said a word, and we didn't try to make conversation. I started thinking about Canada and America again, Korea and Russia were probably doing the same, and England had no idea what to do, so he simply stayed quiet. I didn't blame him if he thought being sent to my house was the worst thing ever, as the mood at the house wasn't what it used to be.

The meal actually turned out pretty good. Although I insisted he didn't need to help. England managed to convince me otherwise, so I gave him a job that I knew he couldn't mess up. He was assigned the task of peeling the potatoes and then cutting them up, and Russia was reassigned to gravy duty. Everything turned out well and the food was good, but not the actual meal. The meal itself was very depressing and awkward.

I was about to shovel another forkful of mashed potatoes into my mouth when the home phone suddenly rang. Thinking it might be news about America or Canada, I stood up from my seat abruptly and startled everyone at the table, mostly England, and rushed for the phone. Russia and Korea looked on in anticipation while England just looked at me with a confused and slightly angry look on his face.

"Hello?" I asked once I ripped the phone off the receiver.

"_Ah, yes. Hello Lily. This is Dr. Zimmerman calling. First of all, Happy Thanksgiving."_

I waved my hand back and forth, dismissing the statement. "Thanks. Happy Thanksgiving to you as well. I hope you had a wonderful day." Who cares, just tell me something worthy of listening!

"_I hope you did too. I have some news about America that I believe you should hear."_

My palms grew sweaty and my heart began to race. "Yes, what is it?"

"_America is losing his vision."_

* * *

**AN: So yeah. There you go. **

**PLEASE GO TO MY PROFILE TO VOTE FOR IF I SHOULD MAKE A SEQUEL TO THE STORY! Mei-Ling out. Peace! :3 **


	11. Chapter 11: Glasses and Englishmen

**AN: DON'T KILL ME PLEASE.**

**I am SO SORRY I've taken forever to get this up. I've been struggling with family problems, grades, health problems, and just about every other thing bad. Life's been incredibly tough for the past three months and I'm afraid it's only going to get worse. With everything that's been going on, I haven't felt motivated to write at all, but over the past few weeks I've gotten some motivation back. I hope you can forgive me for the ridiculously long absence. **

**To make it up to you guys, this chapter is really long. Thirty-three pages in Microsoft Word and 12,406 words. That's a lot, so I hope you like it. **

**I also apologize for the sappiness throughout the chapter. It may seem like this story is leaning towards LilyxAmerica, but trust me, it's only a family thing. Not unless you want to take it another way...**

**Anyway, enough of my rambling. I'm so truly sorry for disappearing on you. I'll try to update quicker next time, I promise.**

* * *

The phone slipped through my hands but I caught it before it could fall to the floor. Behind me, Korea and Russia bolted from their seats, leaving a very confused England behind. I hurriedly put the phone back to my ear and tried to calm my breathing, but I was panicking. America was losing his vision? Why hadn't I been informed earlier?

"He what? I…how? Why?" I stuttered. Korea and Russia stood on the other side of the counter, looking at me anxiously.

"_I underestimated the amount of methanol America was poisoned with. I thought it wasn't that large of an amount, so I took the standard length of time for his treatment. I noticed him complaining of things being fuzzy just last week, so I've been keeping an eye on his condition. He seems to be getting worse."_

"Wait…he's conscious?!"

Dr. Zimmerman chuckled. _"Of course he is. He's been conscious for a little over two and a half weeks now. You didn't think he was out all this time, did you?"_

I could feel the blood rushing to my cheeks. "Noooo," I drawled.I tried changing the subject. "Can I speak to him?"

"What the bloody hell is going on?" England asked. He got up from his chair and stood next to Russia, though when he realized just how close he was he flinched away a bit. "Who are you talking to?"

I blanched. "Uh, look, England...it's really hard to explain…"

"_England?" _Dr. Zimmerman exclaimed. _"Oh dear…"_

"_England!? That bastard! I'll kill him!"_

"America?"

"America…? What the hell?"

"Let her explain, England!"

"Ow, don't shove me, Korea!"

"Не трогайте меня, Англии…"

"_You got England? When I get back home, I'm gonna kick his ass!"_

"Everybody SHUT UP!"

Everyone in the room and over the phone stopped talking immediately. Korea, Russia, and England looked at me with wide eyes. I looked at them, enraged, and took deep breaths.

"All of you stop talking! One person at a time! Dr. Zimmerman, let me speak to America, please."

Dr. Zimmerman said something too faint for me to hear, and in just a few seconds, America's voice was coming over the line.

"_Lily? Hey, what the hell's going on over there?" _

I sighed. "Language," I warned.

I could just picture America rolling his eyes and smiling. _"I heard something about that bastar- uh, that jerk, England. Is he really there?"_

I twirled the phone's cord around my finger and glanced at said nation quickly. His emerald green eyes started back at me curiously, but I could also see anger buried underneath. Whether it was because he thought I was talking to a normal America Unit or because I wasn't giving him answers I didn't know. I looked out the kitchen window to avoid England's stare.

"Yeah…"

On the other end of the line, America cursed loudly and I shook my head. Would he ever stop swearing? How many times have I told him to watch his language? I sighed and focused my attention on a squirrel digging out in the yard. No matter how many times I scolded him, he never listened, and for some odd reason, that made me smile a bit.

"_-even listening to me?"_

I snapped out of my thoughts. "What?"

America sighed. _"I said, Dr. Zimmerman is going to release me today. I'm all done with treatment."_

I gasped, my eyes widening. "R-Really?" I asked, happiness evident in my voice. "For real? It's been so quiet and…well, ever since-" I stopped, tears coming to my eyes. How was I supposed to tell him about Canada?

"_Ever since what?" _he asked. I bit my lip and looked at Korea and Russia for help, but all they could do was shrug.

"Oh nothing. Hey, do you wanna talk to-"

"_England? Fuck no."_

"I was going to say Korea and Russia, thank you very much." I huffed. I handed the phone to Korea and he put it to his ear eagerly, smiling and laughing because either he was relieved to know that America was safe, or America said something funny.

As the phone got passed around and Korea and Russia had their chances to talk to America, England came over to my side of the counter and stared at me quietly. He looked as if he wanted to say something, but he didn't show any indication that he was going to. I looked past him nervously and wrung my hands together. How was I supposed to tell him that America was not the America England thought he was?

Before I could even come up with some way to explain this, the phone was suddenly thrust back into my hands by a solemn looking Korea. "He's asking for Canada…" he muttered. I gulped and took the phone with slightly shaky hands.

"Hey, it's me." I said once I brought the phone back to my ear. "What's up?"

"_Put Canada on the phone. I wanna talk to him, you know, to let him know I'm okay."_

I sighed. "Canada's…" I looked at Korea and Russia, but they only shrugged. England raised his eyebrows and gave me a questioning look. "Canada's sleeping right now. I sent him to bed because I think he might have a cold."

"…_Really." _America deadpanned. I bit my lower lip, hoping he wouldn't ask questions. _"Hmm, okay then!" _His voice was suddenly cheery and I could practically hear the smile in it. _"I'll just talk to him when I get home then."_

"Uh, yeah! Sounds like a plan!" I gave an internal sigh of relief and ran a hand through my hair. "So uh…what are we doing about bringing you home and stuff?"

"_I don't know. Here, I'll put the doc back on the phone."_

"All right, cool."

I waited for a moment for America to give Dr. Zimmerman the phone. I heard them talking about something, but it was too faint to decipher the words. The phone must have been handed over, because Dr. Zimmerman's voice was suddenly very close and loud.

"_America, don't touch-"_

"Um, is everything okay?" I asked uncertainly.

I heard something fall to the floor and break. _"-that." _Dr. Zimmerman finished lamely.

"Uh…"

Dr. Zimmerman sighed. _"Ah, never mind. Everything's fine. So, when would you like to come and pick up America?"_

I shrugged. "How soon does America want to come home?"

"_Like, right now!" _I heard America yell. _"I'm sick of this place!"_

"_That settles it then. How soon can you get here?" _Dr. Zimmerman asked.

I looked at the clock on the wall. It was nearing three o'clock in the afternoon, and since it took three and a half hours one way, I wouldn't get home until around ten. I also didn't have anything else to do today, so I could leave as soon as possible.

That thought in mind, I answered "Right now," and glanced at my Units. Should I take them with me or make them stay home? It didn't seem fair to make them stay, but I really wanted to be the first person America saw. There was also the fact that he absolutely hated England with a passion, so it would be best to hold off their encounter for as long as possible. And what if Canada suddenly reappeared at the house while I was gone? England wouldn't know what to do, so maybe it would be better to leave Korea and Russia with him and I would go by myself…

I shook my head. Whatever, I'll just go by myself. I wrapped up the conversation with Dr. Zimmerman and hung up, a bit miffed. He said something about a "ridiculously huge medical bill" and having to get America glasses or contacts. On top of that, I still had to pay for his first trip to the hospital and student loans, not to mention I needed money for food, clothes, utility bills, and other necessities. My bank statement had come in the mail the other day and apparently I only had a few thousand dollars left in my saving account. With no job, a halted education, and a bunch more mouths to feed, how was I going to afford all of this? I cringed. I probably wasn't.

Turning around to face my Units, I smiled and they could tell something good was up. "I'm going to go pick America up." I said. Korea cheered and Russia smiled widely. England, however, looked like his normal grumpy self. "I probably won't be back until about ten-ish, so find something on TV to watch or whatever."

"Wait, wait." Russia said, holding up a hand for me to stop. "We are not going?"

I looked away nervously. "Well, I was thinking, what if Canada comes back? England won't know what to do, and you guys know him better anyway…"

Korea smirked. "So basically you're saying you want to be the first one he sees because you miss him so much."

"…Pretty much, yeah."

Korea laughed. "All right, we'll give you this one. But if we ever have to go back and leave America at the hospital for a few days, we're _all _going to pick him up, okay?"

I nodded and smiled, glad to know that they were okay with it. Well, Korea and Russia anyway. England now looked very, very annoyed.

"I can't believe, and out of _all places _too, that I have to get stuck with that git…"

I chuckled nervously. "Um, about that. You see, America isn't-"

Korea stopped me by shaking his head furiously. Russia was smirking and looking at England with a malicious glint in his eyes. From the looks they gave me they seemed to want England to be surprised, and I supposed it wouldn't hurt to play just a little trick on him…

"America isn't what?" England asked, getting impatient.

"He's not…" Wow, I can't make up lies to save my life. I shrugged and waved it off. "Whatever. I'm going to pick America up. You guys stay here and don't destroy the house, okay?"

"No guarantees," Korea said with a smirk. I rolled my eyes and grabbed my car keys, then headed out to the garage, but not before giving my Units a small wave goodbye. I had accidentally left the garage door open, so it was bitter cold while I walked to my car. I got in and turned on the car, started blasting the heat, and then backed out of the garage quickly. In a matter of seconds, I was driving out of my driveway and down the street, starting the long journey to finally bring America home.

* * *

As I was driving down to Concord, I couldn't help but think about how America would react to England. Judging by the way he swore over the phone, it wasn't going to be pretty. But that was to be expected, I suppose. After all, his manual (which was actually the normal America Unit's manual) said he absolutely refused to see England, but it also said the same thing about Canada and now America and Canada were best friends and practically brothers. Would America be able to get over his hard feelings for England like he did with Canada? I sure hoped so; I didn't need World War Three starting just because they couldn't get along.

Not only was I worried about what would happen when America and England finally saw each other, but I had America's eyesight to worry about as well. It was up to America whether he wanted glasses or contacts, and that was fine, but I wondered how damaged his eyesight actually was.

The fact that Canada still hadn't shown up was also very upsetting. It's been three weeks; where could he possibly be? So far, there was no news about his whereabouts. I had _absolutely no idea _where he was, or if he was okay. He could be anywhere in the United States. Heck, he could be across the globe for all I knew. He could be anywhere in the world and I wouldn't know exactly where he was or how to bring him home.

Needless to say, my life was kind of a mess right now.

But I wasn't going to let that bring me down. As much as it pained me to think about America and Canada's predicaments, I wasn't going to let it depress me to the point where I couldn't be motivated to do anything. I swore that I would protect my Units and dang it I was going to do that! And I had been tested time and time again by the FMBDS to see just how long I would keep that promise, I had haven't broken it yet. The second step was to finally bring America home and somehow get Canada back.

It was a few hours later that I finally pulled into the Concord Hospital parking lot. The sun had set just an hour earlier at around five o'clock, so it was pretty dark outside. The light from the "Special Units Center" sign above the sliding glass doors leading into the hospital gave off a red glow that was just bright enough to let me see where I was walking. I got out of my car and didn't bother locking the doors; I was pretty sure this would be quick. Taking a deep breath, I tugged at the bottom of my shirt and entered the hospital.

The first thing I saw was America. He was sitting in a chair in the small waiting room next to the secretary's desk. His head lifted when he heard the door open and he had a hopeful look in his eyes that quickly turned into one of pure joy as he jumped out of his seat and ran to me. He spread his arms wide and I did the same, and we both spun around as we hugged each other tightly. I laughed and tears of happiness were welling up in my eyes. Here I was finally picking America up after leaving him for three weeks. I was so happy and overwhelmed that I didn't even bother to wipe the tears away as they started to roll down my cheeks.

"Hey," I said after I sniffed and tried to compose myself. A huge grin was on America's face, but he wasn't as emotional as I was. "Miss me?"

America rolled his eyes. "Of course I did. I was stuck in a room with the same old guy for three weeks."

"I missed you too."

America laughed. "Hurry up and sign those stupid release papers. I wanna go home."

It was then that I saw just how tired America was. He had dark circles around his eyes and his whole appearance gave off a fatigued look. I quickly agreed and walked over to the secretary's desk, and she handed me a packet of paper with a smile.

"Would you like to see Dr. Zimmerman?" she asked. I was about to answer yes when I remembered what America said just a few seconds ago. Deciding it would be better to leave and just talk to Dr. Zimmerman on the phone later, I shook my head and went over to the waiting area to begin filing out America's release papers.

America sat down next to me and drummed his fingers on the arm of my chair impatiently. I hurried through the paperwork as fast as I could so we could go home, but there was just so much to fill out! I heard America's stomach rumble and without thinking, I took a ten dollar bill out of my back pocket and handed it to him.

"Go find something," I said, not looking up from my work. "But if you can wait until we get on the road, that'll be good."

America shifted in his seat. "I'm fine. The food here sucks anyway. I wanna go to McDonalds! So hurry up!" he whined. I rolled my eyes and signed my name on one last line, and then I was done.

I got up and handed the packet to the secretary, and she bid us goodbye as America and I left. I had my arm over America's shoulders as we walked out of the hospital and to my car. America got into the passenger side as I got into the driver's and as soon as I had the car running, we were out of there.

However, it was brought to my attention that America needed glasses or some other form of visual aid when he tried reading my Biology textbook that I for some reason had in my car. I looked over to him as we passed a CVS and noticed him squinting at the words and pictures on the page.

"Can't read it?" I asked, even though it was obvious.

America grunted but didn't look up. "Doc says I'm farsighted. Whatever that means."

"He didn't explain it to you?"

"Wasn't listening."

I rolled my eyes. Figures. "Far sighted means you can see far away and you can't see things up close."

"That would explain why I can't read this stupid book."

"Did Dr. Zimmerman recommend a place where we can get your glasses?"

America shook his head and closed the book with a sigh. He looked out the window, and I could see an almost sad look in his eyes. "I don't think so. I'm pretty sure that's up to you."

I pulled into a gas station and drove up to a pump, putting the car in park and taking the keys out of the ignition. Running a hand through my hair, I sighed and looked over at America. "It's also your choice whether you want glasses or contacts. Which would you prefer?"

America put his chin in the palm of his hand and rested his elbow on the windowsill. The light from the convenience store reflected in his eyes and I could see that they were shining with unshed tears.

"Hey," I said softly, reaching over and putting a hand on his left arm. He flinched but didn't move away. "What's wrong?"

His lips curved down into a frown. "Nothing," he muttered. He turned away and from that one action, I could tell the conversation was over.

I quickly filled up the gas tank and soon we were back on the road. The ride was quiet as we made our way through Concord and to the store nearby to get America some form of visual aid. After looking up eye care facilities in the Concord area, we found out that there was a place called Concord Eye Care right next to the hospital. Luckily we hadn't gone far, so I turned around at a U-turn and headed back towards the hospital. I parked near the front doors and we both got out, heading inside.

We didn't have to wait for an eye test or anything because technically we didn't even have an appointment scheduled, but we also had a prescription directly from the doctor. America and I were escorted to the glasses section and we sat down with a doctor. America decided on glasses instead of contacts, so I showed the doctor the prescription strength America needed and he brought us over to a whole rack of glasses, then went back to his desk to fill out some paperwork.

America had to stand almost halfway across the room in order to see the glasses on the shelves. He frowned at the designs he had to choose from, but his eyes suddenly brightened when he saw a pair of glasses on the top shelf. He walked over to them and picked them up, then put them on and looked in a mirror. He seemed to like what he saw, for he turned around and smiled at me.

"Well, what do you think?"

He looked exactly like the normal America. He picked wire-rimmed glasses that matched the normal America's perfectly. If I hadn't known before that this America was the War for Independence America, then I would've thought he was just another normal America Unit.

I gaped at America. "They look…wow," I said. It was all I _could _say. The resemblance was incredible.

America frowned. "You don't like them?" He reached up to take them off, but my hand shot out and grabbed his arm before he could.

"N-No! They look great!" I exclaimed. "Really! You should totally get those!"

He turned back to the mirror and sighed. Suddenly, he frowned. "I look like the America I should've been…" he mumbled.

I shook my head. "No, you look like he America you already are. You and the other America are so drastically different it's impossible to compare you to one another."

America frowned even further. "But no one even wanted me. That's the thing. Everybody likes the other America more than me. I'm just another one of those Units that get tossed outside and aren't allowed back in..."

My mouth fell open in shock. I had no idea America felt this way… "_I _wanted you," I retorted. America looked down at his feet. "And I would _never _kick you out."

"But you expected the normal America Unit. And don't forget that you tried to send me back the day you got me," America said hotly.

My voice got caught in my throat. What he said was completely true. I wasn't expecting him at all, and I had tried to send him back as soon as I got him. But that was only because he was threatening me and I had no idea what Flying Mint Bunny Inc. did to Units that got sent back! "…That's true, but now that we've been together for so long, I'd never give you up for a normal America. You're unique. You're so much different than the other one. I wouldn't trade you for anything in the world. And I only tried sending you back because one: you were kind of scaring the crap out of me and a panicked, and two: I didn't have a clue as to what the FMBDS did to Units that got sent back."

America didn't look convinced, so I pulled him aside next to the wall and knelt down to his level, my hands on his shoulders. "Look," I said. America looked up from his shoes and directly into my eyes. "I made a promise that I would never let anything harm you after I called Customer Services. You're my Unit; it's my job to protect you no matter what. You mean everything to me, America. You, Canada, Korea, Russia, and England. Don't think for a second that I don't care about you or that I want you gone. We may have our ups and downs, but they only serve to bring us closer." I paused and bit my lip, feeling tears welling up in my eyes. "I love you, America. I may not say it out loud very often, but always know that I do."

America stared at me in surprise, his mouth hanging open. He blinked a few times and his bottom lip quivered. "You…you love…me…?" he asked, his voice shaking.

I smiled and ruffled his hair. "I just told you, didn't I? Now come on, let's get your glasses and go home." I stood up and started to walk back to the doctor's desk, but America grabbed my wrist tightly.

"Lily?"

I looked back at him curiously. "Hm?"

"I love you too."

* * *

My house turned into a battlefield as soon as America spotted England sitting on the couch in the living room.

I had just parked in the garage and turned off the car. I felt myself growing nervous at the thought of America encountering England, and with good reason. If America could point an incredibly sharp bayonet at a small and helpless Chibi Canada, then I didn't even want to think about what would happen when America and England finally met. I had the feeling my house would once again be trashed, or at the very least some highly unpleasant words would be said, or more likely yelled.

So that's why I was as slow as a snail getting out of the car and taking the house keys out of my pocket. I tried to stall as long as possible, but I knew that I was only delaying the inevitable. With a sigh, and I could see America growing impatient, I walked up to the door leading into the house, unlocked it, and walked in.

As soon as America saw England sitting on the couch and sipping a mug of what I assumed was tea, his face twisted into a deep scowl and he balled his hands into fists at his side. His whole body shook with silent rage and I tried thinking of ways to stop the violence before it even started, but I was drawing a blank.

Suddenly, England looked up from the newspaper he was holding and our eyes met for less than a second before he glanced over to America. He scowled but his eyebrows quickly furrowed in confusion when he saw just how angry America looked. However, when realized he was letting his guard down and America could somehow use it to his advantage, he rolled his eyes and looked away, pretending to be uninterested.

"I told you he was here…" I whispered to America. He huffed and cracked his fingers.

"I can't believe they gave you that bastard," he growled, and took a step forward. I stepped forward as well and put a hand on his shoulder in a pathetic attempt to restrain him, but he only shook it off. "How dare he show his face here. There'll be hell to pay."

"Oi, git! If you have something to say, why don't you say it to my face? I'm right here you know. Though I doubt it's anything important. You do have tendency to say ridiculously stupid things, after all," England called as he looked up from the newspaper.

That was the last straw for America. He crossed the room in long strides and loomed over England ominously. He grabbed England by the front of his shirt and pulled him close, much like he did to me on the night that he arrived at my house. I shuddered and outstretched my hand, as if doing so would somehow save England from America's wrath.

"Say that again, limey bastard," I heard America hiss. "You want me to rip out your tongue?"

"Honestly, what's gotten into you?" England retorted. "I had no idea you were capable of being anything other than dim-witted and perpetually air-headed."

_Oh my God, England…just please, stop talking! _I thought frantically. I had never seen America this angry before. He was absolutely _livid. _And the way England was talking to him didn't help his chances of survival, and it certainly didn't decrease the possibility that an all out brawl would commence and leave my house in ruins once again.

"Fucking British asshole!" America yelled, and raised his fist. He brought it down faster than I could close my eyes and look away, and England turned his head to the side at the last second. England then shoved America's shoulders and sprang up from the couch, a malicious glint in his eyes.

"I know who you are," he muttered. His lips stretched into a frown, but they soon curved upwards into a smirk. "You're the War for Independence America, aren't you? No wonder you hate me so much…"

"Not my fucking fault!" America spat back. "You're the oppressive, tyrannical, self-centered douche bag!" He picked himself off the floor and held his fists in front of him, defending himself and getting ready to attack without warning.

"Now, now, silly America. Don't shout at me. I thought you claimed you were an adult. Didn't you say you were ready to be your own country?"

America swung at England and hit him right in the nose, causing the latter Unit to stumble and fall back on the couch. "Don't tell me what to do!" America shouted. He then proceeded to jump on England and punch madly at him. The two of them rolled around on the couch, their arms tangled as they tried to beat the other into a bloody pulp.

While this war continued to rage, I stood on the sidelines with my mouth open. I watched in horror as America and England duked it out, their swears resounding throughout the house. My head moved back and forth as I tried to catch sight of America and England's faces, but their bodies and arms blocked too much of the view. It was only when Korea came running down the stairs that I snapped out of it and looked away.

Korea jumped off the last stair step and landed next to me. He had a controller in his hand and a very annoyed look on his face. "Can you guys shut up for a few minutes?" he yelled over America and England's profanities. "I'm trying to watch my dramas, da-ze!" Suddenly, he blinked and looked at the two Units in shock. "Oh…so America's back and they…" he trailed off.

I raised an eyebrow. "You think?"

Korea chuckled. "So uh, what are we going to do? Looks like they're really going at it."

"I have no idea. Do you know where Russia is? I'm sure he'll be able to do something."

"I heard my name," Russia called. He came around the corner from the hallway leading to the playroom and smiled. "You need me?" Hearing the commotion, he stuck his head into the living room and raised both of his eyebrows. "Wow," he said. "Who started it? America, I assume?"

"Actually, I think it was England." I replied. Korea and Russia gave me incredulous looks. "Well, he said something about saying things to his face rather than saying it behind his back, so I assumed he could hear us talking, and then America got pissed…England realized which America he was and went all evil and stuff…"

Korea grunted. "That's odd…are you sure that's not Pirate England in disguise? The Pirate England Units are known to be really violent, da-ze."

Russia nodded in agreement. "Normal England Units are just grumpy all the time, while the Pirate England Units are always violent, drunk, or a combination of both. Normal England Units usually get reminiscent and cry a lot when they get drunk. I've never seen an England Unit act like this one has before, and that's saying something because I've seen a lot of them at Flying Mint Bunny Inc."

Well this news was just fantastic. Not only were England and America trying to murder each other, but just the fact that England wanted to murder America was highly unsettling. Did something go wrong when he was being programmed?

"Maybe I should call Customer Services…" I mumbled. Korea and Russia turned to me with horrified expressions on their faces.

"Don't do that!" Korea exclaimed. "Remember what happened the last time you did?"

"I know, I know, but I think I remember there being an option for something like this on their automated options menu thing. Look, let me give it a try while you guys go and stop their fighting, okay? If something goes wrong, I'll hang up immediately; I promise. Actually, now that I think about it, Brent gave me his number when Russia got here. I bet he knows something we could do. I'll give him a call first."

Russia and Korea exchanged glances before nodding and moving into the living room. I walked with them but continued on into the kitchen, where I started looking for the note Brent left with Russia. It seemed like so long ago that I got Russia shipped to the house…time really does fly by with Units, I suppose.

I finally found the note under a few pieces of paper and picked up the house phone, then began to dial the number. I heard lots of shouting in the background, so I stole a quick glance over my shoulder just to make sure everything was okay. Russia had America in a headlock and Korea was holding England back by wrapping his arms around England's waist while simultaneously groping his breasts. I rolled my eyes and finished dialing the number. All I had to do know was hope and pray that Brent answered his phone.

I didn't even get the chance to do that, however, for an automated voice immediately came on the line. _"The number you are trying to reach has been disconnected and is no longer in service. The person you are trying to call has either changed their phone number or disconnected their cell phone service."_

I started at the phone in my hands. "…What?" I mumbled to myself. Thinking maybe there was something wrong with my home phone, I hung up and dialed the number again. The same message was relayed. Still confused, I hung up the phone and looked at the floor, contemplating what I just heard.

_His phone got disconnected…maybe that's why he never called me like he said he would. It's been a while now. How long has his phone been disconnected? Why was it disconnected in the first place?_

"Is everything okay?" Russia asked, his voice strained from his throat being pressed up against America's neck. It made him sound funny, but I was in no mood to laugh right now.

I snapped out of my thoughts and looked up. "Uh, yeah. He didn't answer. Must be busy or something. I'll try Customer Services instead." I walked down the hallway briskly and took the stairs two at a time, all while replaying that message in my head over and over again. _The number you are trying to reach has been disconnected and is no longer in service. _What would cause Brent to suddenly disconnect a very important method of communication? Was he trying to hide something?

There were too many questions running through my head and I didn't have time to think about them right now, so I ignored them as I searched in my room for any one of my Units' manuals. The first one I found was Canada's—my heart sunk when I saw it—so I grabbed it and headed back downstairs. As I walked through the living room, I passed Russia dragging America away and shoving him in my coat closet, then standing in front of the door so America couldn't get out. Korea was wrestling with England on the couch and trying to get him to calm down by saying something in Korean…needless to say it was not working out very well for him.

When I got back into the kitchen, I flipped to the very last page of Canada's manual and dialed the number listed under "Customer Services" then waited for someone, hopefully Brent, to pick up. A few moments of silence passed before the prerecorded message played.

"_Thank you for calling Flying Mint Bunny Inc.'s Customer Service office. If your Unit is trying to kill you, press one. If your Unit is stuck in a specific mode, press two. If your Unit is displaying a mode not specified in the user's manual, press three."_

I pressed three and waited with growing anxiousness for a real person to finally talk to me.

"_We understand your Unit is displaying a mode not specified in the user's manual. Please wait while we connect you with an operator."_

"Oh my God, just pick up already…" I mumbled.

Finally, after a few more minutes of silence, I was connected to someone from Customer Service. _"Hello. My name is Alexander, and I will be assisting you today. I understand your Unit is displaying a mode not specified in the user's manual?"_

I stopped myself before I could say anything. I knew this voice. It was a little deep to recognize whom exactly it belonged to, but I definitely knew this voice from somewhere. Another thing I knew for certain: whoever this was, it wasn't Brent.

"Uh, yes. My England Unit is acting a bit…strange as of recently. Quick question, if you don't mind me asking. Can you connect me to Brent Saxton? I've had him as an operator in the past, plus I'd like to talk to him about some personal things since I was unable to contact his cell phone."

The man, I forgot his name already, was quiet for a few long seconds. _"I'm sorry ma'am," _he finally said. _"We don't have anybody working here named Brent Saxton."_

"…What?"

"_I think you've gotten the names wrong. We have a new employee named Trent, but no such Brent exists here. I will admit the two names sound very similar, so I understand why you are confused."_

"So…so there's nobody there named Brent?"

"_Nope, sorry ma'am. I can honestly say that within our entire company, there is not one person named Brent Saxton. I apologize for any inconvenience."_

I stared at the floor, too shocked to say anything. So Brent didn't even exist…? What am I thinking? Of course he existed! I saw him with my own two eyes, didn't I?

…Didn't I?

"_Ma'am? Is everything all right?" _the operator asked uncertainly.

I shook my head to rid it of those unpleasant thoughts. "Oh yes, sorry. I just needed to take care of something for a second. So, uh…"

"_Alexander," _the man reminded me.

I nodded. "Right. Alexander. Sorry, I'm just really bad with names. Well, I'm sure you can help me anyway. My England Unit is showing signs of extreme violence and aggression. I don't see this mode in his manual anywhere…"

"_Hmm, that is quite interesting. Do you happen to have a War for Independence America Unit by any chance?"_

I froze.

Was this guy onto me?

"Uh, no! No, I don't. " I lied. I began to pick at my fingernails nervously. "I didn't even know you guys had that kind of Unit."

"_Really? They're quite popular. Well, if you don't have a War for Independence America, then something went wrong in your England Unit's programming. Saying anything indicated in his manual to get him to switch modes ought to work. If it doesn't please give us a call and we will take the Unit back to the company for fine tuning."_

"A-All right, thank you. Goodbye."

I hung up before I gave Alexander the chance to say goodbye. Taking shaky breaths, I went into the living room to go find England's manual. Fine tuning? What the heck did that mean? Would they try to kill England too? Maybe calling Customer Services was a bad idea…

As I picked up England's manual and began to flip through it to find the modes I could program him into, England and Korea began to fight in the living room. I could still here America pounding against the coat closet door and shouting to be let out, so I quickly found the page and read it out loud, hoping Korea and Russia were paying attention.

_**Reprogramming**_

_After successfully getting your ARTHUR KIRKLAND out of his box, you can decide to reprogram him to any of the following modes._

_Grumpy (default)_

_Bossy (default)_

_Drunk/Emo_

_Loving_

_Terrified_

_Horny (locked)_

_The ARTHUR KIRKLAND unit comes in his __Grumpy __mode, and __Bossy __comes as an addition to his normal stoic personality. If he starts cackling randomly, don't worry - that will appear in various modes and shows that he is planning revenge on some other poor, unsuspecting unit. This revenge will most likely work, but he never laughs in the present of his target; therefore, if you hear it, you can ignore him._

_The __Drunk/Emo__ mode is extremely simple, really; ARTHUR KIRKLAND has a high alcohol tolerance, and he loves to drink, but will become depressed after a few rounds. He is actually pretty sober when he starts crying about ALFRED F. JONES abandoning him, or his family hating him; it's rare for him to get truly drunk, which is another mode._

_The__ Loving__ mode can be utilized by telling ARTHUR KIRKLAND that you too can see fairies, or that you like British food. He becomes very happy, trusting, and lovable._

_The __Terrified__ mode is a very fun one to unlock, presuming you like gay guys and hardcore BDSM. Before attempting to unlock this, we recommend setting up cameras all over your house. To get this mode, set an ALFRED F. JONES, FRANCIS BONNEFOIS, or ANTONIO FERNANDEZ CARRIEDO unit into their respective __Postal__, __Rape-Maniac__, or __Psychotic Break__ modes; for easier access, put ARTHUR KIRKLAND into __Loving__, but for more delicious footage, leave him in __Grumpy __mode. After this, just lock your unit and any of the listed above in your house for a few days. When you come back, ARTHUR KIRKLAND will be trembling and promising to do anything for whichever unit you had him with. To get him out of this, leave him with a normal KIKU HONDA unit for two to three weeks, or get him a private rape therapist._

_The locked mode, __Horny__, can be unlocked by actually getting your ARTHUR KIRKLAND unit drunk. He will be smiling lasciviously at anyone he sees, walking with a disturbing sway of his hips, and clinging onto any nearby unit(s). He is notorious for running off with all three Bad Touch units, and not returning for days._

"Put him in Horny!" Korea yelled, and he laughed when I almost threw the manual at his head.

"You're an idiot!" I retaliated. "Russia, any ideas?"

"Put him in Terrified! I'll punch out his teeth and make him beg on his knees!" America screamed from the closet. I face palmed.

"My Units are all idiots…" I mumbled. Sighing, I walked over to England and went with the only option that wouldn't cause a lot of damage. "Oh my Gosh, England!" I exclaimed. "I like, love your cooking! And I can totally see unicorns and fairies too!"

The change in behavior was almost instantaneous. Right in front of my eyes, England became the most innocent person I had ever seen. The malicious glint in his eyes disappeared immediately and was replaced with a shiny, puppy dog look. His smirk turned into a real, joyful smile, and I swear, if he had a tail, it would be wagging a mile a minute.

"You do?" he asked excitedly. He looked like he was about to explode from happiness.

I forced a smile. "Yeah! It's really tasty! I like your scones the best!"

I found myself staggering backwards as England launched himself at me and wrapped his arms around my waist. A blush crept up my cheeks as I stood there with England hugging me tightly. He buried his head into my side and he started jumping up and down excitedly. I scratched the back of my neck nervously and looked at Korea with a "What the heck just happened?" look. Korea simply shrugged.

"Um…can you please let go of me?" I asked timidly. England suddenly went rigid, and then his arms dropped from my waist. He stood up with a faint blush on his cheeks and a huge smile stretched across his face.

"Haha, sorry about that," he said happily. "But I'm just so excited!" At this, he began to jump up and down and clap his hands. "Everybody always told me my cooking was horrible, but I just _knew _someone had to like it!"

Okay, this mode was freaking me out more than I ever thought possible. Seeing England this happy was cute, but it was just so unnatural. It made me so uncomfortable to see England in any mood other than his normal grumpy self. So, for the benefit of my sanity and probably everyone else's, I walked over to the closet and let America out.

The moment he began to yell and threaten England, I knew it was only a matter of seconds before England reverted back to his normal self. He immediately changed back into his default _Grumpy _mode when America called him a "tea-loving bastard whose food tastes like shit covered in toxic waste and then left to ferment in a pile of garbage for ten years".

Yeah, letting America out of the closet was probably not a good idea.

England's eyebrows furrowed in anger and he quickly began to shout back at America. I had to jump in-between the two before they could start trying to hit each other again, and I forced England to sit down on the couch as I tried to explain why America was acting so rash and violent. America stood behind me, his hands balled into fists at his side and his whole body quivering in anger. Russia was restraining him while Korea stood next to England, ready to tackle him to the ground if he made any sudden movements.

I took a deep breath and let it out slowly, trying to calm my nerves. I knew this would happen. I knew America and England were going to try to kill each other. Well, I knew for sure that America wanted to, but seeing that England wanted to as well was kind of a shocker. But that was all fixed…I hope.

"Look," I said slowly. England looked up at me with a scowl. "There's some explaining I need to do."

"Oh yes, tons." England jeered. Behind me, America started struggling against Russia's powerful grip.

"Shut the fuck up, British bastard! And this is our fight, not yours, Lily!" he yelled, turning his words to me.

"I wasn't trying to get into it!" I exclaimed. "Now shut up and let me finish!" I took another deep breath and counted to five. This wouldn't work if my frustration levels were through the roof. "England," I started. "I tried telling you earlier today that America was not the America you expected him to be, but Korea and Russia kind of prevented me from doing that by wanting you to be surprised when I brought him home…"

"Smart move," England commented. "Honestly, what were you thinking? Why didn't you just-"

"Let. Me. Finish." I said through gritted teeth. England stopped immediately. "As I was about to say, yes, I now realize that it was the dumbest thing we could have ever done."

"I'll say…" Korea mumbled. Russia shot him a dirty look.

"Oh shut up. You were in on it too!"

"_Anyway," _I continued. "The point is: if you couldn't already tell, this America is the War for Independence Unit. That explains why he kind of hates your guts…"

"I have a perfectly legitimate reason to!" America shouted.

"Prove it, you little brat!" England retorted.

"Guys, guys, just SHUT UP." Both Units fell silent. "Please, I don't want any more fighting. All I wanted to do was inform England about America in hopes that it would bring some understanding and prevent fighting, but obviously that was not the case." Turning around, I grabbed America's arm and tugged him over to the stairs. "America, you're staying upstairs for the rest of the night and England, you're staying downstairs. There will be no breaking this rule, understand?"

America just scoffed. "Whatever. I didn't want to see his ugly face anyway."

"And I didn't want to have to hear the whines of an ungrateful little _colony."_

America's arm was out of my grasp in the blink of an eye, but just as quickly I caught him again and dragged him up the stairs. "_No fighting!" _I repeated. America only huffed in response.

When we got to the top of the stairs, I pushed America into his room and shut the door behind him. "Don't come out until I say so. If you try, I'll know. My door will be open so not only will I hear you, but I'll see you as well."

When America didn't respond, I sighed and pushed the door open to my room. I walked up to my bed and just collapsed onto it, too physically and mentally exhausted to climb into bed the right way. I groaned into the thick comforter and turned over so I was facing the ceiling and just let my thoughts wander.

At first, I couldn't stop thinking about what had just gone down between America and England. That was probably the angriest I've ever seen America or England, and it was one of the most scariest experiences I've ever had. I honestly thought England and America wanted to kill each other. And to think, Russia, Korea, and myself thought it wouldn't hurt to not tell England the truth while we still had the chance…

Now how would things be at home? England and America hated each other, so would every day just be an attempt to prevent them from fighting? Would they ever stand being around each other? Would they ever stop fighting and hurting one another? Would they ever stop yelling and cussing each other out? Most importantly, would they ever set aside the differences in how they were programmed and become friends, or at the very least, neutral?

I didn't want every day to be a struggle. I didn't want my life and their lives to be a constant fight amongst each other. I didn't want to have our family fall apart, to have someone run away because the fighting was too much, to go to bed every night and regret ever signing up for these stupid Units in the first place.

Eventually, my mind ran out of things to think about and I could feel myself getting drowsy. Though my door was open and I could hear everything that went on downstairs, there was nothing to be heard. The first floor was completely silent. Yawning, I crawled over to my side of the bed and got beneath the covers, not even bothering to change into my pajamas. I was too tired to care. After a few minutes, I fell asleep into peaceful dream and left all my troubles behind, something I disparately needed.

* * *

I don't know how many hours I had been asleep, for I never checked to see what time it was before I went to bed, but I did know that I was woken up at 3:14 in the morning by the sound of Korea's bedroom door creaking open.

I opened my eyes and blinked, then turned to look at the clock. The numbers 3:14 glowed a soft red and I squinted. I was about to turn back onto my other side and try to fall back asleep when I thought I saw the silhouette of a person standing in my open doorway. Granted, I had just woken up and it was pitch black, so I couldn't tell if my eyes were playing tricks on me or not. Nevertheless, I called out hesitantly into the darkness to see if my suspicions were correct.

"Hello? America, is that you?"

"Where is Canada?"

My eyes widened and I froze.

Now I was definitely awake.

"W-What?"

"Where is my little brother?"

"America, go back to bed. We'll talk about it in the-"

"_Où est Canada?" _He repeated, this time louder and in French. I thought I heard his voice shaking. _"Où est mon petit frère?"_

My heart started beating wildly. He knew. He knew Canada wasn't here. He probably searched the entire house, only to find that his little brother was gone.

"I…I'm sorry, America. He ran away and I tired to stop him, b-but-"

"You lost him."

"America, you don't understand. There was nothing I could do…"

America didn't give me a chance to explain myself. Infuriated, he stomped out of the room, down the hall and into his room, and then slammed the door shut.

* * *

The next few weeks were some of the worst I had ever experienced in my life.

America found every possibility he could to insult or provoke England. Literally. He was purposefully going out of his way to get into a fight with England, and it was doing nothing to help lessen the tension going on at home. Not only was America trying to get only England's nerves, but he was now accusing and ridiculing me whenever he had the chance. He blamed me for Canada running away, for getting England (which, by the way, was totally unfair because I had no choice in the Units I received except America), and he brought up the touchy subject of me being the cause of the FMBDS trying to kill him.

Because of all the fights, swearing, and overall tense atmosphere at home, I often found myself leaving and not coming back for hours at a time. I spent most of my time away from home downtown at the local Dunkin' Donuts or at the library. The library had two floors to it, and since the second level was practically always empty, I went up there and sat in the farthest corner from the door. There was a table there next to a large window, so I could watch people walking around downtown when I didn't feel like reading from the giant stack of books that I had squirreled away ever since I had started coming to the library after the whole America and England incident.

When I did decide to come home, however, more often then not I would walk into the house and hear America and some other Unit yelling. Usually it was America and England, but occasionally America and Russia would fight. Korea would rarely get involved in one of America's temper tantrums, and he was lucky he did. Nowadays, America went after everyone.

But now the days were counting down to Christmas. Despite my Units being total jerks over the past month or so, namely America, I still wanted to get them Christmas presents. It only seemed natural to do so. That or I was just too soft.

So it was the day before Christmas that I decided to go shopping for presents. I procrastinated so much that I thought I wouldn't be able to get any shopping done, but luckily that was not the case. At around seven o'clock that morning, my alarm clock went off and I got out of bed, ready to start the day.

I could already hear America yelling downstairs. What he was yelling about, I didn't know, but I could also hear Russia's voice as well. I sighed and began to get dressed. Russia and America seemed to be getting into a lot more fights in the past few days. Even Korea was getting more and more involved.

I quickly brushed my teeth and hair, then went downstairs. England was in the living room watching TV, and Korea was in the kitchen cooking. It wasn't surprising to see everyone up so early. America would often keep everybody up and his fights would go on into the early hours of the morning, so nobody got much sleep. As I passed the living room, England looked up and gave me a dirty look. Everybody was always grumpy as well, and England was even more so than before.

Korea glanced at me and gave a tired smile as I walked into the kitchen. He motioned with his head to a plate of eggs and toast on the counter and I thanked him, then quickly wolfed them down. I wanted to be out of this house as soon as possible, and taking my time to eat breakfast would not help.

"You're leaving again?" Korea asked. I forced a smile.

"I'm going Christmas shopping today, so I'll be gone awhile. There's usually a lot of people doing last minute shopping at the mall."

"About that; the hospital bills came in today, as well as your bank statement. I didn't open them, so…"

Wordlessly, I walked over to the dining room table and looked through the various envelopes sacked on it. I saw one with the words "Concord Hospital-Special Units Center" on it, so I tore it open and took out the paper. It was, as Korea had said, the hospital bill, and it was not cheap.

"N-Nineteen…nineteen…" I stuttered. I looked at the number again, my eyes widening even further. "Nineteen thousand dollars…"

"Nineteen thousand dollars?" Korea asked exasperated. I nodded weakly.

"Two thousand each for GPS removal, another five thousand to get the bullets out of America's arm, and then eight thousand dollars for America's three week long treatment." Suddenly, I remembered another expense, and my jaw dropped. "Add that to my student loan payment every month…and the fact that I have no job…plus utilities, insurance, car payments, and everything else…" I felt like I was about to have a heart attack. "I'm almost sixty-two thousand dollars in debt!"

"What are you talking about?" America asked, suddenly appearing from the playroom. For once he had stopped arguing with someone. "Sixty-two thousand what?"

"Sixty-two thousand dollars in debt…" I whispered. I looked down at the paper again, doing a quick run-through of the math in my head. "Yup. Sixty-two thousand dollars. And I only have like, a few thousand left in my bank account, and only seventy dollars in my wallet…" I sighed and sat down in a barstool at the kitchen counter. "How am I supposed to afford stuff for Christmas?"

"Christmas?" Russia asked. By now, all of my Units had gravitated towards the kitchen.

I nodded. "Christmas is tomorrow."

"It's fine." England said. America shot him a dirty look and England returned it with a glare. "I'm sure everyone agrees that we don't need super expensive things for Christmas. After all, it's the thought that counts, right?"

America shrugged. "I suppose."

"What were you thinking of getting?" Russia asked.

"Whatever I thought you guys might like. But now it'll have to be small things, I guess…"

"It doesn't matter whether we get big or small things, da-ze," Korea commented. He smiled at me and turned back to the stove. "Like England said, it's the thought that counts."

"Yeah!" America agreed. This was the first time he had genuinely smiled in weeks, and it made me sad to think that it would be so short-lived. Nevertheless, I returned his smile with my own and picked up my car keys from the table.

"You guys are great. I'll probably be back late, so please behave." I looked at America sternly. "That means _you."_

America only rolled his eyes. "Yeah sure."

I shook my head and sighed as I walked out to the garage. I just knew I would come back home to more yelling, but who knows. Maybe my Units will surprise me and I'll come home to peace and quiet.

That comforting thought in mind, I got into my car and drove out of the driveway and down the street towards the direction of the mall.

* * *

When I got to the mall, I went straight for the small teashop next to GameStop.

As I was driving, I had already come up with what I wanted to get for my Units. The first stop was getting a few boxes of Early Grey tea for England. I walked into the shop and wrinkled my nose at the overwhelming scent of herbal teas, but pushed on to the very back of the store. There I found a whole wall just for black teas. I quickly located the Early Grey section. "Tea. Earl Grey: hot." I muttered to myself, and smiled. Giving the shelves a once-over, I took three boxes of a fancy yet inexpensive looking tea and paid for them at the cash register. The total was fifteen dollars. Only fifty-five left.

Next, I went downtown to the local Asian food market. Since I had no idea what to get America, I figured I would shop for Korea and Russia first. I walked into the store and an old Asian lady behind the counter smiled at me.

"Do you need any help looking for something?" she asked, her accent making it somewhat difficult to understand her. I nodded.

"Actually yes. I'm looking for a certain brand of kimchi…" I proceeded to describe the jar of kimchi as best as I could, and suddenly, the old lady smiled.

"You are looking for this," She lead me down an aisle and we stopped in front of a shelf full of different brands of kimchi. She pointed to a jar with lots of Korean characters on it. I couldn't understand what it said, but I recognized it as the same brand that had come with Korea when he was shipped here. I smiled and took three jars. Eight dollars each. Thirty-one dollars left.

When that was done, I got back in my car and drove to the liquor store. I knew exactly what to get Russia—vodka.

Figuring he wouldn't want some cheap American vodka or something Polish, I chose a Russian brand instead. Considering I only had thirty-one dollars left, I couldn't afford three bottles of vodka like I could three boxes of Earl Grey or three jars of kimchi. So I only got one. The vodka was pretty expensive at thirteen dollars a bottle, but I guess that's to be expected for Russian Standard.

With now only eighteen dollars left, I went to the grocery store and bought some more pancake mix and pure Canadian maple syrup for Canada. Even though he wasn't here, it didn't seem right to not get him Christmas presents. Unfortunately, pure Canadian maple syrup was about twenty bucks, so I had to run to an ATM and get more cash. After I paid for the groceries, I went back to the liquor store and bought two more bottles of Russian Standard, then went back to the mall.

There, I went directly to the A.C. Moore store and bought five Christmas stockings, one for each Unit. I also bought a squeezable container of glitter and a roll of wrapping paper and Christmas themed labels. Next, I went to the candy store and stocked up on all kinds of candy. I got Kit-Kats, Hershey's chocolates, candy canes, Lindt chocolates, and a bunch of other small things. At the small convenience store, I bought packs of gum and other small stocking stuffers. When I paid for everything, I packed it up in my car and drove down to the library.

I took everything I bought from A.C. Moore and brought it up to the table I had basically called my own on the second floor. I took the glitter and carefully spelled out Canada, America, Korea, Russia, and England's names on the fuzzy white part of the stocking. I filled their stockings with the candy and other stocking stuffers I bought, then moved onto wrapping their gifts. It didn't take too long to wrap them, and in about fifteen minutes I was done.

I sat back in my seat with a sigh and looked at my phone for the time. It was almost noon. Time really flies when you're shopping! I heard my stomach growl and I cringed. Now that I wasn't rushing around trying to get everything done, I realized just how hungry I was. Deciding now would be a good time to go get lunch, I packed everything back into my car and drove to the nearest McDonald's for a Southern Style Chicken Sandwich.

I was eating my food at my table back at the library when I suddenly got an idea. I was in a library. How could I have not seen it before? Quickly finishing the rest of my sandwich, I took my smoothie with me as I went downstairs and began to browse the comic book aisle.

I found exactly what I was looking for there. I picked up the entire set of the Captain America and Superman comic books, and since I was looking for books, I walked around to the Classics section and found a copy of _Shakespeare's Sonnets_, as well as a collection of his plays. I also picked up a copy of _Crime and Punishment_ for Russia. In the CD section, I was surprised to find some Korean dramas, but I picked up a few of them anyway. And lastly, for Canada, I went to the foreign language section and found a few books for children that were in French. After I purchased everything I found, I went back upstairs to wrap them up.

I smiled at my handiwork when I had finished a half an hour later. I felt accomplished getting this much stuff done. Now all I had to do was bring it home and put everything underneath the Christmas tree that we had picked out a week earlier. I guess it didn't matter if the Units were awake or not. After all, I did tell them that I was going Christmas shopping.

As I sat in my chair looking at all of the neatly wrapped presents and congratulating myself, I couldn't get my thoughts away from Chibi Canada. Tomorrow was Christmas, one of the most important holidays of the year, and Unit I've had and known the longest wasn't even here to celebrate it.

I brought my mood down considerably, but I quickly pushed the thoughts away before I could get too emotional about them. There was no use dwelling on sad topics right before Christmas. So, to make myself forget about it for the time being, I gathered all of my stuff and piled it into my car, then headed home.

* * *

The next day, Christmas brought the family together.

There were no fights. There were no insults or curse words exchanged. For once, America and England put aside their differences and tolerated each other for my sake and the sake of the other Units. It truly warmed my heart to see them trying so hard, and to be honest, it almost made me cry.

We started Christmas like I did every year with my family: open stockings and then presents. We started with England first, since he was the last to arrive, and went down from there. Everyone liked their stocking stuffers and thanked me for going out at the last minute. As they began to snack on their candy, I looked at Canada's stocking sadly. It hung alone and filled to the brim with candy and other goodies on the fireplace. If Canada was here, would he like the stuff I got him?

Next, we moved onto the presents. I assumed the role of Santa Claus, so I walked over to the Christmas tree and grabbed a random bag. It was really heavy, and when I looked at it, I saw that it was addressed to Russia.

"'To Russia. From Lily.'" I read and handed Russia the bag. His eyes widened in surprise when he felt how heavy it was. I smiled. "I think you're going to like it."

When he pulled the three bottles of vodka out of the bag and unwrapped them, his eyes lit up with delight. A huge smiled broke out on his face and he looked at the bottles in awe, then turned to me.

"Thank you so much!" he exclaimed. "I haven't had vodka in ages!"

I smiled and picked up another present. "'To Korea. From Lily.'"

Korea took it and unwrapped the three jars of kimchi I had bought. The look on his face when he saw it was priceless. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" he yelled. He was practically bouncing in his seat because he was so excited.

Next up was England. I handed him a bag and he took it with a smile. He removed the pink wrapping paper on top and his face was beaming when he pulled out three boxes of Early Grey tea.

"Oh my," he breathed. He opened one of the boxes and inhaled deeply. "If you don't mind, I'd like to brew some right now."

I laughed. "Not at all. Merry Christmas."

As England went to go brew his tea, I handed America two large boxes. When he opened them, I thought he would've died right then and there from pure happiness.

Instead, he took his complete sets of Captain America and Superman and danced around the living room with them, a huge smile on his face. Everyone laughed and smiled as he shouted words of thanks over and over again.

The next hour was spent opening the remainder of the presents. Russia smiled fondly when he unwrapped the copy of _Crime and Punishment_, England was absolutely ecstatic about the copies of _Shakespeare's Sonnets _and his plays, and Korea got up and hugged me so tight I almost couldn't breathe when he unwrapped the Korean dramas I got him. In return, Korea got me my very own hanbok, which was pink on the bottom and white on the top with a blue ribbon. Over the course of a few weeks in secret, Russia had knitted me my own scarf, and England got me a lovely set of earrings, as well as the cutest dress I had ever seen. How England knew I loved the color blue, I had no idea.

America had gotten me a small bracelet with a bronze fleur de lis on it. It was held together by a small light blue elastic. The overall design was very simple, and I loved it. Putting it on, I thanked America and looked at myself in the mirror. I have to say, that bracelet looked pretty good on me.

"Okay," I said once I had stopped playing with the bracelet. "Now we can all have a nice breakfast. Who's up for some eggs, bacons, and toast?"

"Before that," England said quickly. He looked to the other Units and nodded. "There's still a present left under the tree."

Curious, I craned my neck to look back at the tree. The only presents left were for Canada, so why was England saying there were more? "For me?" I asked. "Because the only ones I see are for Canada…"

"_In _the tree is more accurate." America corrected. When I gave him a confused look, he rolled his eyes and led me over to the tree.

Resting on one of the branches about halfway up were two little black boxes. They weren't wrapped, but even if they were, I could clearly tell that they were some type of jewelry. Gently, I removed the boxes from the branch and shook them, wondering what was inside.

"Go on, open it!" Korea urged. He took me by the shoulders and made me sit down in the chair Russia had just been sitting in. Once I was sitting, everyone moved backwards and watched me in anticipation.

Carefully, I opened the first box, which was also the smaller of the two. Inside was a miniature version of the Union Jack. It had the same style of the others on my necklace, so I assumed it was made by the same person who made America, Canada, Russia, and Korea's flags.

"Would you like me to add it to your necklace?" England asked. I nodded eagerly and unhooked the necklace, then handed it to him. While he put the flag on the chain, I opened the other box slowly.

When I took out the small silver locket, my eyes widened in awe. The locket was shaped like the Earth, and it had North and South America on one side, and Africa, Europe, and Australia on the other, with Antarctica running all along the bottom of both. It was so simple yet beautiful that I had no words to describe how much I loved it, how much I appreciated having it.

Russia noticed this and smiled. "When we get Canada back, we'll get our picture taken together."

Finally, after a few moments of silence, I was able to speak. "You guys…" I whispered. "You guys are too good to me. Thank you so much." I went around and hugged every one of them, then put the locket back in its box. "You don't know how much this means to me."

America laughed. "Don't mention it! Now, I do believe it was time for breakfast…"

I smiled and nodded my head in agreement. America, Korea, Russia, and England went over to the four barstool seats behind the kitchen counter while I entered the kitchen and began to take out the ingredients for breakfast. I put the bread in the toaster and turned on the stove, then put a pan on the burner to start heating it up. While that was warming up, I turned on another burner and put a skillet on to begin the bacon. In about thirty minutes or so, everyone was served and happily eating their Christmas Day breakfast.

Everyone was chatting and I was standing behind the counter in the kitchen when suddenly the doorbell rang. I set down my fork and wiped my mouth, then started walking towards the door. "I got it!" I yelled when I swallowed my food. I opened the front door, only to be greeted by the cold morning air. "Um, hello?" I asked. I stuck my head outside the door. Nobody was there. Figuring it was just some stupid teenagers ding-dong ditching, I was about to close the door, until a small envelope on the porch caught my eye.

There was no writing on it at all. It was just a blank envelope. Curious, I picked it up and closed the door, shivering from the cold air. I began to open the letter as I was slowly walking back to the kitchen, but once I began to read it, I stopped in my tracks.

_Dear Ms. Hamilton,_

_Do not worry; we have your Chibi Canada Unit in our possession. He has not been harmed, and has been looked after by professionals for the time he has been gone._

_We are offering you the chance to give us your War for Independence America Unit in exchange for the return of your Chibi Canada Unit. This is your one and only chance to get your Chibi Unit back._

_Enclosed in this letter is the location of our headquarters on the Palmyra Atoll. Please also read the second page of this letter, which tells you how to get there._

_If you do not accept this offer, which expires in fifteen days, your Chibi Canada Unit will be deactivated, and your War for Independence America Unit will be found and deactivated as well. _

_Please choose wisely, and have a nice day._

_-FMBDS_

* * *

**AN: So begins the end! Jesus, that was long. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and once again, I'm extremely sorry for the delay.**

**PLEASE GO TO MY PROFILE TO VOTE FOR A SEQUEL TO THIS STORY. Also, based on the characters in this story, what's your favorite pairing? I'm just curious.**

**Mei-Ling out. Peace! :3**


	12. Chapter 12: A New Age of Discovery

**AN: Okay, so here's a rundown of the past few months:**

**Costocondritis. It sucks. Google it. My ribs, man. My ribs.**

**I donated my hair to Pantene Beautiful Lengths! My mom cut it, so it was doubly special. It's shoulder length now (before it was just above my butt). **

**My mom has her final chemo treatment on Thursday, May 9th. The day before my brother's birthday. In case anyone's wondering, she's got breast cancer. But hey, we're almost through it. Just a little bit longer.**

**And finally:**

**Throwing up every morning because you're nervous about going to school is probably the worst thing ever. But I've been vomit-free for a week now.**

**Let's see how long that lasts.**

* * *

I stood in the middle of the hallway with my eyes wide and my mouth hanging open. The letter fell from my hands and spiralled to the floor, landing gently in front of my feet. Over in the kitchen, my Units were laughing and talking as if they didn't have a care in the world.

My heart began to pound in my ears and my hands began to shake. Tears started to well up in my eyes and my lips curved down into a frown. Knowing that I was about to start crying, I covered my mouth with my hands and took a deep breath to try to calm myself down, but it was no use. In mere seconds, the tears started pouring down my cheeks and I began to hyperventilate.

That letter was the last straw. I had been strong when America was in the hospital multiple times, I had been strong when Russia went on a rampage, I had been strong when Canada ran away, and I had been strong when America and England wouldn't stop fighting. But now...now that I was forced to choose between Canada and America, now that I was forced to choose between two Units that I loved with all my heart...now it was just too much. I couldn't keep a level head anymore. I couldn't deal with the stress. The pain was so strong that I finally lost it and burst into tears.

Those silent tears quickly turned into loud sobs. I pulled at my hair with my fists and squeezed my eyes tight, trying to forget the contents of the letter, but the words were already burned into my mind.

_This is your one and only chance to get your Chibi Unit back._

_If you do not accept this offer, which expires in fifteen days, your Chibi Canada Unit will be deactivated, and your War for Independence America Unit will be found and deactivated as well._

"Lily?"

I looked up, startled, and saw Russia standing at the end of the hall. He had and empty plate in one hand and a half filled glass of orange juice in the other, so I assumed he was going into the kitchen to clean up. But on his face was an expression of shock mixed with concern. His purple eyes looked at me worriedly and without even thinking, I flung myself at him and wrapped my arms around his waist tightly.

"Lily, what's wrong?" he asked, trying to pull me off of him, but I wouldn't budge. "What happened?"

"The...the FMBDS...and, and Canada...he's...they have him...and they want me to-"

"Wait, what? The FMBDS has Canada?" Russia questioned. He set his plate and glass on the floor and lifted my chin gently so I was looking directly at his face. His face was all blurry to me, and I blinked away the tears to see him better. Numbly, I nodded my head.

"A-And...they want me to trade America for him...b-but...but I..." The mere thought of giving up one of my Units for another was too much to bear and it made me burst into sobs all over again.

"Bloody hell, what's gotten into her?" England asked. He hurriedly put his and Russia's dishes in the kitchen, then came back out and led me over to the couch in the living room. Soon Korea and America joined us and we were all sitting together. I sat on Russia's lap with my head buried into his coat, England sat next to Russia, Korea sat next to England, and America had just come from the hall and sat where Russia sat when we were opening presents just a short while before. Anger was clear on his face as he waved the letter in the air for everyone to see.

America then proceeded to read the letter out loud. As he did, the faces of my Units changed from disbelief to pure horror. When America was finished, he slammed the letter down on the coffee table and glared at it. "It's signed by the FMBDS," he spat.

"So let me get this straight," Korea said. "The FMBDS has Canada, and they want Lily to trade America to get him back. If she doesn't do it in fifteen days, they'll kill Canada and come for America anyway and kill him too."

America nodded. "Those bastards…" he muttered.

"Well then what do we do?"

America shrugged. "Well, we go and get Canada then. We can't just leave him there."

My head shot up and I turned to look at America. "But then they would kill you! A-And I don't want to lose you or Canada…"

England sighed and held his chin in his hands, a thoughtful look on his face. "A tough decision indeed…" he mumbled.

I glared at him. "There's no decision about it. We're going to save Canada _without _giving up America." I said hotly. England raised his eyebrows.

"And how do you plan to do that?"

"…I haven't gotten there yet."

England rolled his eyes. "Exactly,"

"But that doesn't mean we can't do it," Russia added. "All we have to do is come up with a plan."

"I wish it was that simple," America sighed. "But the FMBDS is crazy, so our plan will have to be ridiculously thought out with no holes at all. And I have no idea what to do…" He sighed and put his head in his hands. "What the fuck are we supposed to do…?"

"Somebody get a pad of paper and a pen,"

"No. No, no, guys stop. Wait."

All eyes travelled to me and my Units looked at me in surprise as I got off of the couch and began to pace around the living room. I scratched my head and looked at the letter again, flipping to the back page, which were the directions. "Why don't we get an idea of what we're dealing with first?" I suggested. "We can't just rush into this. We need to be prepared."

I spread the directions out on the floor and went upstairs to my room to get my laptop. When I came back down with it, my Units were already sitting in a circle around the paper and reading it intently. I sat down in the open spot between England and America and opened my laptop, then immediately went to Google.

"The letter said the FMBDS headquarters was on the Palmyra Atoll…" Russia muttered. He looked at America expectantly. "That's one of your territories, right?"

America shrugged. "How am I supposed to know? I'm a War for Independence Unit. As far as the FMBDS is concerned, I still think the American Revolution is happening. But of course, I know better than that…"

"That's why we have Google," I said as I wiped away the remaining tears on my face. I sniffled a few times as I typed "Palmyra Atoll" into the Google search bar and pressed enter. The first thing to come up was the Wikipedia page, so I clicked on it and began to read out loud.

"The Palmyra Atoll is an unoccupied equatorial Northern Pacific atoll administered as an unorganized incorporated territory by the United States federal government. Well," I said, turning to Russia. "That answers your question." I scrolled down and scanned over the page, looking for anything about company headquarters or any other kind of construction on the atoll. "Also an unorganized territory blah, blah, blah… Ah!" I exclaimed, finding something interesting. My Units leaned towards me as I began to read. "Palmyra is also uninhabited, and there is no current economic activity there…"

"But the letter said-"

"So they're lying." America stated, his eyes hard. "Either Wikipedia or the company is lying."

I scrolled back to the top of the page. "Look at this picture," I said. My Units gathered around and I turned the laptop around for them to see. "I put it on full screen. There's absolutely no sign of any construction or activity. That long road was built during World War Two and it says it's unserviceable because of deterioration and an overgrowth of plants. The FMBDS is lying. They're trying to make us go there when it's really a dead end so we just end up wasting our time."

"When was the picture taken?" America asked. After seeing my confused face, he took the laptop and clicked on something. "Summary of picture…Right here it says this was uploaded to the page on July 17, 2004."

"2004? That was almost ten years ago. When was Flying Mint Bunny Inc. established?" I asked.

England looked up to the ceiling, thinking hard. "Hmm, the autumn of 2008. Just before the anime premiered."

"So…the picture hasn't been updated in four years…"

"Which means that it's still entirely possible that Wikipedia is just covering for Flying Mint Bunny Inc. and is withholding information." America concluded. He pushed the laptop back to me. "The company must have paid a lot of money for Wikipedia to not update that page."

"So it's still entirely possible that the FMBDS is telling the truth," Korea added.

"But that doesn't make any sense," I said, flipping open one of my Units' manuals that I also grabbed from upstairs. "It says in the manual that the Unit it corresponds to was manufactured in the capital of their country. For example, Korea was made in Seoul, and Russia was made in Moscow. Why would the FMBDS want us to go to the middle of the Pacific when they're probably in Washington D.C.? Heck, they're probably in Ottawa since they said they have Canada with them…"

England shook his head. "It doesn't work like that. Yes, we're made in the capitals of the countries we're supposed to represent, but the building on the Palmyra Atoll is _the_ Flying Mint Bunny Incorporated Headquarters. They take us there for a final inspection before they ship us back to our capital and then out to a customer."

I paused for a moment, allowing the information to sink in before I finally responded. "So what you're saying is that there is in fact a base building in the middle of the Pacific and the FMBDS is there with Canada, and they're waiting for us to come and get him." I paraphrased. "Why didn't you tell us that in the first place?! We could've saved ourselves a whole lot of confusion! Now that I think about it," I said accusingly, turning to the rest of my Units, "why didn't any of you tell me? Surely you knew if England did,"

England fidgeted under my accusing glare and began to wring his hands around his wrists. "W-Well," he stuttered, "it's supposed to be a secret! Units aren't supposed to talk about those things! It could get us into huge trouble if the FMBDS found out we spilled how they carry out their operations!"

"Don't you care at all about America or Canada? Their lives are in danger too, you know!"

England shrugged and looked at America with disdain. "Of course I'm worried for Canada. As for America, not particularly, especially with the way he's been acting in the past few weeks…"

"Well, thank you so much for those kind words. I'll be sure to push you into the line of fire once we get there," America said hotly. "It's so nice to know that you'd allow a child to be killed when he was completely innocent."

"If my memory serves me correctly-"

"It wouldn't, because you're fucking old as shit,"

"I'm physically 23, thank you very much," England replied with a glare. "Anyway, if my memory serves me correctly, you said you weren't a child and were therefore capable of handling your own affairs, am I correct?"

America stood up then, his hands balled into fists at his side. "You asshole…" He moved forward ever so slightly, but it was just enough for me to be forced to jump in between the two and stop them from connecting their fists to each other's faces.

"Guys, _stop," _I commanded. England and America immediately glared at each other, but they both stopped their attempts at starting another fight. "We are _not _going to start fighting again. Look, it doesn't matter that England knew about the base. Besides, if Flying Mint Bunny Inc. didn't want us knowing where their headquarters were, then they wouldn't have sent us a letter with directions telling us how to get there, now would they?"

America shrugged. "Makes sense, I guess…" he mumbled. He sighed and collapsed into the gray recliner Russia sat in when we opened presents just a short while ago. "We still haven't answered the question of how we're going to go about our plan, though."

"We don't even have a plan…" Korea mumbled.

"Don't worry," I smiled and picked up the letter. "We'll think of something."

* * *

All I wanted to do was sleep, but for some reason that luxury wasn't granted to me Christmas Night.

I blinked and sat up straighter in my seat. The light from my computer monitor burned my eyes and I rubbed them with the heels of my hands. Another wave of nausea washed over me and I put a hand over my mouth, trying to push the feeling away.

I felt nauseous when I was nervous, stressed, or anxious in general. It had always happened to me. In fact, it happened almost every day before school when I was younger. So now that I had to deal with the ultimatum of giving back America or Canada is deactivated, the feeling was coming back.

To get rid of it, I decided I would go to bed early, but lying in bed only seemed to make it worse. However, I fought against it and laid in bed until I was sure everyone else in the house was asleep, and then I went upstairs into the attic to do some work on the computer.

And that was where I am now, sitting in front of a blank Word document and watching as the cursor blinked. I had actually done some other research beforehand, and I had opened up the Word document to start writing out our plan of attack, but nothing was coming to me. The fact that I was nauseous and on the brink of vomiting was not helping either.

Sighing, I minimized the window and pushed myself out of my seat. I walked over to the stairs with my back hunched over and gripped the railing tightly as I made my way down. Once I got to the floor, I weaved through the various hanging clothes, opened the door in front of me, and stepped into my room, then closed the door and turned off the light.

My attic could only be accessed from this one entrance, and that entrance was hidden in my closet. You wouldn't be able to tell that there was a small staircase because it was hidden behind a bunch of clothes. But once you went back far enough, you'd find a small staircase that led to the attic, which I had turned into my office and where I used to do my college homework before I ultimately dropped out a few months ago.

After I closed the door and shut off the light I looked towards my bathroom door, but decided against entering. I didn't want to wake up my Units since I knew just how loud throwing up could be, so I exited my room and made my way slowly down the stairs to the first floor. My bare feet hit the cold tiled floors of the foyer and I shuddered.

"Can't sleep?"

I turned around, startled, and quickly put a hand over my stomach as it lurched violently.

"England? What are you doing up?"

There was just enough light to see England's outline sitting on the couch in the living room. He patted the seat next to him and I walked over to him slowly, trying to ignore the flipping going on in my stomach.

"The same as you," he replied. "I can't sleep either."

I sat down next to him and could feel his radiating body heat. Without thinking, I shifted closer to him until our shoulders were touching. "I feel like I'm about to throw up," I confessed. "I came down here so I wouldn't wake anyone up."

"Are you getting sick?"

"No, it's just nerves. Trust me, I would know."

England chuckled softly. "What are you nervous about?"

I raised an eyebrow and searched for his face in the dark. "What isn't there to be nervous about?" I countered.

"Canada can take care of himself,"

"And…?" I asked, looking at him expectantly. England sighed.

"And I suppose America can take care of himself too."

"You really hate him, don't you?"

England turned away and scratched the back of his neck. I could just barely see that he was chewing on his bottom lip. "It's…complicated…"

I got up from my seat and went over to the kitchen, thinking that maybe eating something mild would help ease my stomach. I opened the refrigerator and was temporarily blinded as the light poured out and lit up my face. "Do you want anything?" I asked as I scanned the shelves for anything interesting.

"No thanks; I'm all set."

Not seeing anything appetizing, I closed the fridge and started looking through the cupboards instead, though it was practically impossible to see anything without turning any lights on. I sighed and returned to the living room. I wasn't really hungry anyway.

"If I was any other person, then I probably wouldn't think he was that bad,"

I blinked and sat down in a recliner. "What?"

"I was just thinking—since I'm a human simply programmed to feel what the character England from Hetalia feels, maybe if I wasn't this way then America and I could get along," England mused. I heard him shrug. "But who knows. He is pretty annoying,"

I chuckled, but I quickly composed myself when I realized that England was sharing something pretty personal with me. "I get that you guys are human, but you're aware of the fact that you were programmed to feel someone else's feelings. Why can't you just push that aside and start over as someone you want to be? You know, carve out a life for yourself instead of living the one Flying Mint Bunny Inc. wants you to?"

England snickered. "I wish it could be that simple, but that's the thing. That's why Units get deactivated—they become 'self-aware', so to speak. Deep down every Unit knows that they're just acting as medium for a fictional character's life, and the threat of deactivation, which is just a euphemism for death, keeps them from acting out of line. It wasn't just the fact that you called Customer Services and now the FMBDS is out to get America; America also let it slip that Units are really humans just like you."

"But how would they have known that?" I asked. "I only ever spoke to Brent about it."

"I don't know who that is, but I know that the FMBDS listens in to every conversation that takes place on the Customer Service phone line. They would've known if you asked the operator you were connected with."

Realization suddenly dawned on me. "No wonder Brent was hesitant to tell me…" I mumbled. "He knew they were listening,…so why did he say it was true? He knew the consequences,"

England shrugged again. "I'm pretty sure everyone working at Flying Mint Bunny Inc. that isn't a high ranking company official knows that what the company is doing is wrong. Some people just aren't afraid to tell the truth to someone to get the word out, I guess."

"So what happens to those that speak out?"

"No one really knows. They just disappear."

* * *

_If you are reading this, that means you have accepted or are considering accepting the offer mentioned on the previous page._

_Enclosed are directions and plane tickets that will take you to the Flying Mint Bunny Incorporated Headquarters, which is located on the Palmyra Atoll in the Pacific Ocean. Your flight is scheduled for three stops before reaching its final destination: Denver, Colorado, Los Angeles, California, Hilo, Hawaii, and then finally the Palmyra Atoll._

_There is no need to pack any luggage or carry on items. By flying out to our headquarters, you are ultimately agreeing to our offer and will be exchanging one Unit for another—a task that will take virtually no time at all. If all goes well, you will be heading back to your home in less than ten minutes upon arrival._

_An officer from the Flying Mint Bunny Deactivation Squad will accompany you on your journey. He will meet you at Logan International Airport in Boston, Massachusetts, at Gate C10 in Terminal C. The airline you will be boarding is United Airlines. Please stay relatively near the officer on your flight._

_Thank you and we look forward to seeing you soon._

_-FMBDS_

Sighing, I tossed the paper to my right. It landed gently on America's lap and he picked it up, glancing at it disinterestedly. He handed the paper to England, who was siting in the back seat with Korea and Russia, and the three began to read it together.

"I can't believe they're making me drive all the way down to Boston," I grumbled. "They couldn't have booked a flight in Concord, at least?"

America nodded. "I know right? And they picked an early flight, too. What bullshit."

"Watch your language, please."

"I don't see what difference it makes."

I rolled my eyes and laid on the breaks as we approached a stoplight. "You could've at least stopped swearing when Canada was around."

America chuckled. "The kid didn't even know English! And besides, I never swore in French. I hardly said anything to him in French anyway."

"What was Canada like?" England suddenly asked.

I glanced up at him through the rear-view mirror, my throat constricting the slightest bit. "Shouldn't you know?" I asked rather bitterly, purposefully avoiding having to answer the question in fear of breaking down in tears.

England shrugged. "I've seen a few chibi Units come and go, but ultimately the way a Unit turns out depends on its owner. This is especially true for chibis because they're practically toddlers."

"He was adorable," I said, my lips stretching into a faint smile. "He was so tiny and cute. When we went out places I pushed him around in a stroller because he was so much like a toddler."

"He only spoke French," America added. "Occasionally I would translate what he said."

"Which, by the way, would have been extremely helpful if you did it more often."

America huffed and turned to look out the window. "Yeah well, he's not here for me to translate, now is he?"

"A-Anyway…" Korea quickly commented, effectively breaking the awkward silence that was threatening to fall. "He loved to play with me and his toys. His little polar bear, Kumajirou was his name, was always by his side. They were practically inseparable."

England hummed and glanced down at the paper again. "It's a shame this had to happen,"

I nodded. "I'll say,"

"We are all set on a plan, correct? To get Canada back, I mean." Russia asked. America nodded.

"Definitely. There's no way this will fail."

"I wouldn't be so optimistic. The FMBDS is cruel and relentless," Russia said with a shudder. "Maybe we should go over the plan again and make adjustments?"

"You can save the strategy talk for when we get on the plane," I interjected. "We're here. Let's make this quick."

My Units looked up in surprise as I pulled into the parking lot of the Logan International Airport. They rubbed the sleep from their eyes and looked around slowly, then finally started to move and stretch in their seats. I couldn't blame them for being tired; we had been driving for nearly five hours now.

After four days of planning, we had finally come up with a "battle operation" of sorts and were ready to fly out to the Flying Mint Bunny Incorporated Headquarters to get Canada back. Even though we put more time into this than I would put into my homework, I sort of agreed with Russia when he said that we should reevaluate our plan. Four days might seem like a long time to come up with a strategy, but in reality it was just a bunch of arguing and the plan was slapped together at the last minute. There were probably many holes we overlooked when coming up with this plan, and so those would have to be fixed before we got to the headquarters.

That thought in mind, I got out of the car and my Units followed suit, then we all walked into Logan Airport. I grabbed our tickets from my purse, which I had brought and stuffed full of various snacks just in case, and we headed over to the check in counters. Checking in was super quick because there were no bags to be weighed, although the lady helping me gave me an odd look when she saw five people with no luggage checking in for a four hour flight to practically the middle of nowhere. Despite the obvious suspicion the lady had for us, she confirmed our flight tickets and we were all set.

Going through security was a walk in the park, although the officers checking us were giving us odd looks. They must have thought that I wasn't a threat, because they never pulled me aside to talk about why I was traveling with four other people and had practically no carry-on items. As soon as we got through security we ran to our terminal because we were a bit behind schedule.

We arrived at Gate C10 just as passengers were beginning to board. A man in a black suit, much like the ones the men were wearing when they first came to my house to find America, was sitting in the last chair of an empty row by some big windows. He turned his head and seemed to spot us, for he stood up and started coming our way. I could only assume this was the officer that was supposed to "chaperone" us throughout our flights.

"Because that's not suspicious at all…" I mumbled. The man didn't seem to hear me. "So…are you the guy that's supposed to travel with us?" I asked. The man nodded, but didn't speak. "Well, that's all fine and dandy, but honestly? Couldn't you have gotten us a flight from Concord?"

Silence.

"Fine, don't answer me then." I huffed. Just then they called our section to start boarding, so my Units and I got in the line that was already forming. We showed our tickets once we made it to the desk, and then we walked down the hall and onto the plane.

America, England, and I sat together in a row on the left side of the plane by the windows, and Russia and Korea sat together in a row on the opposite side. Russia got the aisle seat since it would be easier for him to get in and out of, and Korea was stuck between him and a teenage girl that wouldn't stop stealing glances at my Units.

The FMBDS officer sat a few rows behind us, so while my Units and I could discuss our plan again, it would look suspicious, so we decided not to. We simply relaxed and hoped everything would work out fine when we finally got there, though I could hardly relax at all. One by one my Units fell asleep, but I couldn't. My anxiety was coming back and it was bringing nausea with it.

The first flight was long and boring, and because we had to wake up early to drive five hours down to Boston, everyone was tired. I didn't actually sleep until the second flight because I was just so worried and nervous. Once we landed in Hawaii I woke up and stayed awake until we approached the Palmyra Atoll, which from the air looked incredible.

The atoll was just a rather large coral reef that encompassed various lagoons with the clearest waters I had ever seen. The water was so shallow in some places that it looked like it was all sand, and the water was so deep in some places that it was as dark as the ocean surrounding the atoll. A thin strip of land connected one part of the atoll to the other, and I could see the airstrip that was mentioned on Wikipedia as being constructed in World War Two. A little ways from it in the woods was a cluster of modern-style, high tech looking buildings. I assumed these were the headquarters, and when I woke up England and asked him, he said that they were.

When we got off the plane I immediately took a deep breath and inhaled the salty ocean breeze. The sun was warm on my skin and the weather was absolutely beautiful without a cloud in the sky. My Units, however, didn't seem to care that the weather was wonderful. Their faces held grim looks as they walked down the plane stairs and onto the beach. The man followed behind them, and from a dirt road leading into the forest, a jeep rolled up and stopped.

The man motioned for us to get into the back and I instinctively hovered in front of my Units, America especially, to protect them. America grabbed my hand and nodded, and all of my other Units began to walk silently to the car. America tugged me along and I reluctantly followed, seating myself between him and Russia. The officer sat at the head of the back, and the jeep began to drive off quickly into the forest.

It was time to start the plan.

* * *

**AN: Ah, I am so excited for the end! Thank you to everyone who has reviewed. I can't believe I got over 100 reviews! It really means a lot to me.**

**Also, I'm terribly sorry for taking so long, but as mentioned, I'm going through a lot of crap at the moment. Reading your reviews has made me feel so much better and I turly appreciate every single one of my reviewers, followers, and those who put this story on their favorites. **

**Mei-Ling out. Peace! :3**


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